04/29/2024

Choosing the Elevator or the Stairs

Your choice could boost longevity, study finds

At a time when less than half of adults in the U.S. get the recommended amount of exercise, there is new evidence that climbing stairs can reduce the risk of heart disease and help people live longer.

A new meta-analysis presented at a European Society of Cardiology conference finds that people in the habit of climbing stairs had about a 39 percent lower likelihood of death from heart disease, compared to those who did not climb stairs. They also had a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.

"I was surprised that such a simple form of exercise can reduce all-cause mortality," said study author Dr. Sophie Paddock, of the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust in the UK.

Please select this link to read the complete article from NPR.