Climbing stairs reduces risk for all-cause, cardiovascular death
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Key takeaways:
- Climbing stairs was associated with a 39% reduced risk for death from heart disease.
- It was also associated with a 24% reduced risk for death from any cause.
In a meta-analysis of studies covering more than 400,000 people, climbing stairs was associated with reduced risk for all-cause mortality and death from heart disease.
“If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs, as it will help your heart,” Sophie Paddock, MBBS, interventional cardiologist at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust, Norwich, U.K., who presented the findings at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, said in a press release. “Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines.”
Paddock and colleagues reviewed nine studies with data from 480,520 participants and conducted a pooled analysis of five studies with 455,649 participants to determine the relationship between stair climbing and all-cause and CV mortality. The pooled cohort included healthy individuals as well as those with prior MI or peripheral artery disease. The age range was 35 to 84 years and 53% were women.
Stair climbing was associated with a 39% reduced risk for CV mortality (RR = 0.61; 95% CI, 0.48-0.79; I2 = 84%; z-test = 3.76; P = .0002) and a 24% reduced risk for all-cause mortality (RR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.62-0.94; I2 = 85%; z-test = 2.5; P = .01), according to the researchers.
In a qualitative synthesis, the researchers concluded that there was a positive association between stair climbing and CVD including MI, ischemic stroke and HF.
“Based on these results, we would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their day-to-day lives,” Paddock said in the release. “Our study suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits — but this needs to be confirmed. So, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, take the stairs.”
Reference:
Climb stairs to live longer. https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/Climb-stairs-to-live-longer. Published April 26, 2024. Accessed April 26, 2024.
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Paddock S, et al. Optimal exercise modalities for primary and secondary prevention. Presented at: ESC Preventive Cardiology; April 25-27, 2024; Athens, Greece.
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