Walking Can Save Cancer Survivors From Heart-Related Death

Female cancer survivors who walk and exercise more have a lower risk of dying from heart disease, a new study suggests.

One hour a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity reduced women’s risk of death from any cause by 40% and risk of death due to heart disease by 60%, results show.

Likewise, each additional 2,500 steps per day was associated with a 34% reduction in their risk of death from heart disease, according to findings presented Sunday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in New Orleans.

“Encouraging cancer survivors to be more active, sit less and take more steps every day could be a feasible approach for prolonging survivorship and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality,” lead investigator Eric Hyde, a research analyst at the University of California-San Diego, said in a news release.

Physical activity is a key component of Life’s Essential 8, the AHA’s list of health behaviors and factors that support the best heart health.

The AHA recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity like walking or gardening, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity exercise like running or swimming. A combination of these is also an option.

And it’s known that cancer survivors are at an increased risk of heart disease, due to the rigors of both cancer and toxic treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, the AHA said.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 2,500 post-menopausal women ages 63 to 99 gathered during two previous studies exploring the relationship between physical activity and sedentary behavior.

Participants wore a motion-tracking accelerometer on their hip for 10 hours or more a day for up to a week.

The study found that among women who’d had cancer:

More daily steps and more physical activity were associated with a progressively lower risk of death from any cause.
The greatest benefit from walking was seen in women who logged 5,000 to 6,000 steps a day — their risk of death from any cause dropped by 40%.
The greatest exercise-related benefit was seen in women who worked out at least one hour a day, with a reduced risk of death from any cause of 40% and a 60% reduced risk of heart-related death.

“Risk reductions were even evident when participants walked fewer than 5,000 steps per day, half of the often touted 10,000 steps per day threshold,” Hyde said.

“Daily steps are an important measure because they are easily understood by the public, can be at any intensity level and are recorded on wearable devices like smartwatches that are increasingly being worn by all,” he added.

Results also showed that every 102 minutes of sitting time was associated with a 12% increased risk of death from any cause and a 30% increased risk of heart-related death.

“Many adults now spend the majority of their day sitting, not engaged in physical activity, and for cancer survivors, this issue is likely even more pronounced due to the physical toll of cancer treatment and recovery,” AHA spokesman Keith Diaz said in a news release. He’s an associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

“These findings add to the growing body of evidence that prolonged sitting is a significant health risk — one that we must actively combat, particularly after a cancer diagnosis,” Diaz, who was not involved in the study, added.

The study adds to the understanding of managing health and living longer after a cancer diagnosis, he said.

“While structured exercise remains the most efficient and effective way to improve your health, these findings highlight that walking — at any intensity — matters,” Diaz said. “The road to an active lifestyle is more accessible than we often assume, and the benefits are available to everyone, including people navigating life after cancer.”

Findings presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on physical activity and cancer.

SOURCE: American Heart Association, news release, March 6, 2025