A new study in dogs—an ideal model for this research because they share our genetic diversity, diseases, and home environments—has uncovered molecular clues that could shed light on how aging unfolds in pets and people alike.

Clocking up at least 4000 daily steps on just 1 or 2 days per week is linked to a lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease among older women, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham examined 13,547 older women, comparing their step counts over a one week period against their mortality and cardiovascular disease rates over the next decade. They found that achieving just 4,000 steps one or two days per week was associated with lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease—and with more steps came even greater benefits, up to a point when risk reductions leveled.