Climbing stairs every day can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Anyone who walks more than five floors a day can reduce their personal risk of cardiovascular disease by around 20 percent.
A new study involving experts from Peking University examined whether climbing stairs influences the risk factors for so-called atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. The results are published in the specialist journal “Atherosclerosis”.
How dangerous are cardiovascular diseases?
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), along with coronary heart disease and stroke, are the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, the researchers report.
It is therefore important to identify effective measures to reduce this risk. Simply climbing stairs could make a contribution here. It actually seems possible to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases through short, intensive sessions of stair climbing.
Climbing stairs improves cardiorespiratory fitness
“Stair climbing is a time-saving way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and lipid profile, especially in people who cannot meet current physical activity recommendations,” explains study author Professor Dr. Lu Qi in a press release.
According to the expert, the results of the new study underline the potential benefits of climbing stairs as a primary preventative measure against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Data from 450,000 participants evaluated
The research evaluated data from the UK Biobank from around 450,000 adult participants. Using this data, the experts calculated the participants’ susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases.
The team takes family history, established risk factors and various other risk factors into account. In addition, the participants were asked about their lifestyle and specifically how frequently they climbed stairs. The study had a median follow-up of 12.5 years.
Significantly reduced risk
The data analysis showed that daily climbing stairs reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. According to the researchers, this is especially true for people who are less susceptible to these diseases.
But even in more vulnerable people, climbing stairs every day significantly reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases. For people who climb stairs more than five floors a day, the risk of cardiovascular disease drops by around 20 percent.
According to Professor Dr. Qi provides new evidence for the protective effect of stair climbing against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which may be particularly helpful for people with multiple existing risk factors for these diseases.
Climbing stairs is a good option for integrating more exercise into your daily routine, which significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. (as)
