Using stairs could cut the risk of early death

HEALTH EDITOR

CLIMBING stairs instead of using the lift could cut the risk of early death by a quarter, a major study has found.

Research on almost half a million adults found that short bursts of activity was linked to longer lives and stronger heart health.

The findings, presented at a European Society of Cardiology conference, suggest that regularly taking the stairs is associated with a 24 per cent reduced risk of dying from any cause and a 39 per cent lower likelihood of dying from heart disease. Researcher Dr Sophie Paddock, of the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust, in Norwich, said: “If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart.

“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.”

For the study, the team looked at data from nine studies involving more than 480,000 people, aged between 35 and 84 years. Healthy individuals as well as patients with heart disease were included in the analysis, of whom 53 per cent were women.

In addition to reducing the risk of premature death, stair climbing was also found to be associated with a lower risk of heart disease including heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

Physical inactivity is associated with one in six deaths in the UK, according to a report by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Evidence suggests regular exercise can cut the risk of early death and heart disease.