Preoperative daily step count and cognitive performance following cardiac surgery

Objective: Postoperative neurocognitive disorders impact 40 to 50% of patients after cardiac surgery. In older adults, walking more than 6500 steps per day is associated with cognitive benefits. The purpose of this study was to determine if walking 6500 steps or more per day before surgery was associated with less postoperative neurocognitive disorder. Methods: This single-center, observational, pilot study enrolled patients aged 60 years or more undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Daily step counts were recorded continuously for at least 5 full days before surgery and for 90 days after surgery. Montreal Cognitive Assessment was administered (1) at enrollment, (2) at discharge, (3) on postoperative day 30, and (4) on postoperative day 90. Patients were stratified into low steps (