Scientists say that people can quickly check their heart health by simply climbing a few sets of stairs. People who can climb 4 flights of stairs in a minute are in a good health.
Climbing stairs to check heart’s health
According to a recent publication by the European Society of Cardiology, climbing stairs could provide a quick and simple check of your heart health. If it takes you over 1,5 minutes to climb 4 flights of stairs, it could be time to talk to your doctor, as this indicates below normal result.
Scientists set the goal to find a simple way to do a self-check.
165 participants who had some kind of symptoms and were referred for further tests by their doctors took part in the study. Symptoms included shortness of breath, chest pain, etc.
The participants had to walked or ran on treadmill while the intensity was increasing. The results were recorded.
Then they were given opportunity to recuperate for 15-20 minutes, after which they needed to climb 60 stairs (4 flights). Participants had to do it fast but without running.
Comparing results of both tests, researchers found that people who showed good results on the treadmill test (9-10 METs or higher) mostly completed the stairs test under 45 seconds. This result is linked to mortality rate of less than 1% per year (10% in 10 years).
Patients who spent over 1,5 minutes to climb 60 stairs achieved less than 8 METs on the treadmill test. This is linked to mortality rate of 2-4% per year (30% in 10 years).
Researchers also used heart imaging for evaluations. 58% of patients who took 1,5 minutes or more to climb 60 stairs showed abnormalities on the imaging during the treadmill test, compared to 32% of those who completed it in under 1 minute.
Thus, climbing stairs could be a simple way to find out whether it’s time for a heart check up!
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