Climbing Stairs May Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Climbing stairs is associated with improved heart health and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to research presented today at European Society of Cardiology Preventive Cardiology 2024, the annual congress of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology.

“If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the [elevator], go 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 in the United Kingdom, via 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.”

The researchers analyzed 9 studies with 480,479 participants (53% women). The population of interest comprised both healthy participants and those with a previous history of heart attack or peripheral arterial disease.

According to the results, stair climbing was associated with a 24% reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 39% lower likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease. “Based on these results, we would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their day-to-day lives,” Dr. Paddock said. “Our study suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits, but this [finding] needs to be confirmed. So, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, take the stairs.”