Cardiovascular diseases can be largely prevented with a healthy lifestyle that includes physical exercise. However, more than one in four adults worldwide do not meet recommended levels of physical activity. Stair climbing is a practical and easily accessible form of physical activity that is often overlooked, and new research presented at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, a scientific conference of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), has concluded that climbing stairs is associated with a longer life.
“If you have the option of taking the stairs or the lift, opt for the stairs as it will help your heart,” said study author Dr Sophie Paddock of the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Foundation Trust, Norwich. (United Kingdom). “Even brief periods of physical activity can have beneficial health effects. Incorporating stair climbing into your daily routine is an achievable goal that we should all consider.”
39% less likely to die from cardiovascular causes
Researchers looked at whether stair climbing as a form of physical activity could play a role in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death. The authors compiled the best available evidence on the topic and conducted a meta-analysis. Studies were included regardless of the number of flights of stairs and the speed of climbing.
A total of nine studies with 480,479 participants were included in the final analysis. The study population included both healthy participants and those with a history of heart attack or peripheral arterial disease. Ages ranged from 35 to 84 years and 53% of participants were women.
“Even brief periods of physical activity can have beneficial health effects. Incorporating stair climbing into your daily routine is an achievable goal that we should all consider”
Compared with not climbing stairs, climbing stairs was associated with a 24% lower risk of dying from any cause and a 39% lower chance of dying from cardiovascular disease. Climbing stairs was also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, heart failure and stroke.
Dr Paddock said: “Based on these results, we would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their daily lives. Our study suggested that the more stairs they climbed, the greater the benefits, but this needs to be confirmed. In any case, already Whether at work, at home, or anywhere else, use the stairs.
