According to research, an easy and straightforward basic heart health test is more accessible than you might think; all you need is a few flights of stairs!

You can do this basic test almost anywhere - Image Credit: Flamingo Images via Shutterstock / HDR tune by Universal-Sci

Dr. Jesús Peteiro, a cardiologist at the University Hospital A Coruña in Spain and one of the lead researchers, stated in a press release that the stairs test is a simple and reasonable way for any person to check their heart health. He noted that the motivation behind the study was to find an easy and inexpensive method for doctors to quickly assess their patients' heart health.

The new study conducted by Dr. Peteiro and his colleagues has uncovered that an individual who can climb four flights of stairs in less than 40 – 45 seconds achieved more than 9-10 metabolic equivalents (METs). Metabolic equivalents, also known as METs, are a measure of exercise capacity. Preceding studies have discovered that attaining 10 METs during an exercise test is directly correlated with a low death rate, specifically 1% or less per year.

The report, presented at a scientific research meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, closely looked at the relationship between daily activities, in the case of climbing flights of stairs, and results acquired from exercise testing conducted in a research lab. Although the research hasn't been published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal as of yet, the results are definitely worth a glance.

Image Credit: lzf via Shutterstock / HDR tune by Universal-Sci

The 165 study participants either walked or ran on a treadmill until they no longer could while having their exercise capacity calculated as metabolic equivalents (METs). After resting for a short period of time, the participants then climbed up four flights of stairs, 60 steps in total, at a semi-fast pace, while having their METs measured again. Study participants who climbed the stairs in less than 45 seconds reached more than 9 to 10 METs. On the other end of the spectrum, study participants who took 1.5 minutes or longer to climb the four flights of stairs reached less than 8 METs, linking these individuals to lesser heart health.

Past research shows that achieving 10 METs through exercise is associated with a lowered mortality rate of approximately ten percent over a period of ten years. By way of comparison, study participants that took over a minute and a half to do the stair test attaining only 8 METs were linked with a higher mortality rate of approximately 30% in ten years.

During the treadmill test, researchers also created images of each participant's heart to assess how it functioned while they were exercising. The images revealed that 58% of the participants who took more than 1.5 minutes to climb the flights of stairs had abnormal heart function while exercising.

Dr. Peterio determined that the connection between the stair-climbing test duration and exercise capacity would be remarkably similar within the overall population. Quickly climbing up a few flights of stairs might therefore be an excellent way to do a basic test of your heart health. Keep in mind, however, that if you really wish to assess your health accurately, you should, of course, always seek out help from a medical professional.

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