Climbing at least 50 steps daily could reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke, according to a study published in the journal Atherosclerosis.
Researchers examined the relationship between stairs climbed daily and risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. ASCVD is caused by plaque buildup in arterial walls and refers to conditions that include cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, angina, ischaemic stroke and peripheral artery disease.
The study included 4,58,860 adult participants who were followed for about 12.5 years. The research found that climbing more than 50 steps daily could reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 20 per cent. “Short bursts of high-intensity stair climbing are a time-efficient way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and lipid profile, especially among those unable to achieve the current physical activity recommendations,” the study said. The study also found that those who stopped climbing stairs daily during the study showed a 32 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those who never reported climbing stairs.
Another study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has found that daily stair climbing was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality as well as a lower risk of specific diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and all-cause dementia and death from these diseases.
