Climbing stairs every day can reduce the risk of a common cause of stroke by almost a third, a study shows.
Researchers tracked hundreds of thousands of people in their fifties to see what proportion developed atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heartbeat that is a major risk factor for strokes.
They found that adults who climbed at least 110 steps a day (about the equivalent of climbing a typical household staircase about seven times) were 31 percent less likely to develop this life-threatening condition.
The findings, published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, led researchers to call for stair climbing to be promoted as a simple and effective way to protect against strokes.
At least two million people in the UK suffer from atrial fibrillation, a fluttering heart rate that can be caused by high blood pressure, chest infections, an overactive thyroid and even too much caffeine or alcohol.
It develops when electrical activity in the heart becomes uncontrolled and causes it to beat irregularly. One in 25 people over 60 years of age suffers from it.
Some will have symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness and fatigue, but a significant number have no idea they are sick until they have a stroke.
As the heart no longer beats regularly, due to irregular electrical activity, blood that should be pumped throughout the body begins to “pool” and thicken within the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart.
When blood clots travel through the narrow blood vessels that feed the brain, they potentially cause a fatal stroke by blocking the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the brain.
Research has found that climbing at least 110 steps a day (roughly equivalent to climbing a typical household staircase about seven times) was 31 per cent less likely to develop this life-threatening condition.
If a clot then breaks loose and travels through the narrow blood vessels that feed the brain, it can cause a fatal stroke by blocking the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the brain.
Atrial fibrillation causes around 16,000 strokes a year in the UK, according to the Arrhythmia Alliance.
Experts from Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China, analyzed data on stair use and general health among almost half a million Britons taking part in a long-term health project called UK Biobank.
They were all free of heart problems when they joined the study and were followed for 12 years to see who became ill.
The results showed that those who climbed a minimum of 110 steps daily were much less likely to develop atrial fibrillation than those who rarely used stairs.
Previous studies have found that climbing stairs helps keep your heart healthy and improves memory and concentration.
In a report, the researchers said: “Our findings suggest that promoting regular stair climbing could be a potential target for preventing atrial fibrillation.”