journal · Public research summary
Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts
Associations flattened around 6,000–8,000 steps/day in adults 60+ and 8,000–10,000 in younger adults. These are observed dose-response ranges, not mandatory targets.
Educational only. Associations do not establish individual risk or diagnosis. Read the original sources and limitations. Editorial review: 2026-10-06.
Citation
Paluch AE et al. · The Lancet Public Health · 2022 · DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9
Study design
Meta-analysis of 15 cohorts
Population
47,471 adults; 3,013 deaths; median follow-up 7.1 years.
Measured outcome
All-cause mortality association
Finding
Associations flattened around 6,000–8,000 steps/day in adults 60+ and 8,000–10,000 in younger adults. These are observed dose-response ranges, not mandatory targets.
Limitations
Observational, with device and population differences; no life-years estimate. Activity and step evidence overlap and cannot be added.
Habit topics
Move through the week
Interpretation
Research comparisons are not personal lifespan predictions. Years from different studies, habits, populations and outcomes cannot be added. Supporting studies do not validate the numeric estimate of another study.