FRIDAY, July 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Increasing step counts are significantly associated with improvements in health status among patients with heart failure, according to a study published online July 26 in JACC: Heart Failure.

Jessica R. Golbus, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues analyzed the relationship between smartwatch activity over 12 weeks and patient-centered outcomes in people with heart failure. The analysis included 425 participants in the Canagliflozin: Impact on Health Status, Quality of Life and Functional Status in Heart Failure study.

The researchers found that baseline daily step count increased across categories of Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaires (KCCQ) total symptom scores (2,437.6 steps/day for scores 0 to 24 versus 4,870.9 steps/day for scores 75 to 100). Similar results were seen for KCCQ physical limitation scores and also persisted in an adjusted analysis. Changes in daily step count were significantly associated with nonlinear changes in both KCCQ total symptom and physical limitation scores.

“If providers see improvements in step counts, then that is a good thing and reflects that patients’ health status is likely improving,” Golbus said in a statement. “However, seeing a decrease in step counts does not necessarily mean the converse and would not necessarily require an intervention. It might mean following up with a patient though.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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