Climbing at least 50 or more than 5 flights of stairs each day may reduce your risk of heart disease by 20%, according to a study from Tulane University. This study highlights the effectiveness and accessibility of stair climbing and provides a practical alternative to traditional exercise recommendations, particularly beneficial for people at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Forget about walking 10,000 steps a day. Climbing at least 50 steps every day can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, new research from Tulane University suggests.
was announced on atherosclerosisStudies have shown that climbing five or more flights of stairs every day can reduce your risk of infection. cardiovascular disease Increased by 20%.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, along with coronary artery disease and stroke.
Stair climbing: an efficient aerobic exercise
“Brief periods of high-intensity stair climbing are a time-efficient way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and lipid profile, especially for people who are unable to meet current physical activity recommendations.” said co-author Dr. Lu Qi, HCA Regents Special Chair. He is a professor of public health and tropical medicine at Tulane University. “These findings highlight the potential benefit of stair climbing as a primary preventive measure for ASCVD in the general population.”
Insights from extensive data analysis
The study used UK Biobank data from 450,000 adults to calculate participants’ susceptibility to cardiovascular disease based on family history, established risk factors and genetic risk factors. We investigated lifestyle habits and frequency of going up and down stairs. Median follow-up was 12.5 years.
The study found that climbing more stairs each day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in people who are less susceptible to it. However, Mr Chee said the increased risk of heart disease in people who are susceptible to heart disease could be “effectively offset” by climbing stairs every day.
Qi promoted public access to the stairs as a low-cost and accessible way to incorporate exercise into daily life.
“This study provides new evidence that stair climbing is protective against ASCVD risk, especially for individuals with multiple ASCVD risk factors,” Qi said.
Reference: “Daily stair climbing, disease susceptibility, and risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: a prospective cohort study” Zimin Song, Li Wan, Wenxiu Wang, Yueying Li, Yimin Zhao, Zhenhuang Zhuang, Xue Dong, Wendi Xiao , Ninghao Huang, Ming Xu, Robert Clarke, Lu Qi, Tao Huang, September 16, 2023, atherosclerosis.
DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2023.117300
This research was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China.