Roundup: New Insights on Benefits of Climbing Stairs for Heart Health; and More news

Taking the Stairs Could Help Lower the Risk of Heart Disease and Early Death

Choosing the stairs instead of the elevator may seem like a small decision, but new research suggests it could contribute to better heart health and a longer life.

A large analysis led by researchers at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, both in England, found that people who regularly climbed stairs had a significantly lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or from any cause, compared with those who climbed stairs less often.

The findings add to growing evidence that relatively short bursts of physical activity can provide meaningful health benefits — even without a formal workout.

Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Death

Researchers reviewed nearly 1,900 studies before selecting nine high-quality studies involving more than 480,000 people. Participants ranged in age from 35 to 84 and included both healthy adults and people with a history of heart problems. The median follow-up was 14 years, meaning half the studies followed participants longer and half for a shorter period.

When researchers combined the results, people who regularly climbed stairs were 39 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 24 percent less likely to die from any cause than people who climbed stairs less often.

Cardiovascular disease refers to conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, including heart attack and stroke. Stair climbers were also less likely to develop major cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure, a condition in which the heart cannot pump blood as effectively as the body needs.

The findings show an association, however, and do not prove that stair climbing itself caused the reduction in risk.

Small Bursts of Activity Can Add Up

Stair climbing can quickly raise the heart rate and make the cardiovascular system work harder. Previous research cited by the authors found that just a few minutes of stair climbing several times a week may improve cardiorespiratory fitness — the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen during physical activity — and help lower cholesterol.

One large study included in the analysis suggested that climbing about six flights of stairs a day might provide the greatest benefit. But researchers said more studies are needed before recommending a specific number of flights.

“Some of the studies we looked at showed that the more stairs climbed, the greater the health benefits,” said Sophie Paddock, M.D., a cardiology specialist registrar at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, in a news release. “But even small changes had a measurable impact.”

An Accessible Form of Exercise

One advantage of stair climbing is that it can be incorporated into everyday routines without special equipment or dedicated exercise time.

“Unlike going to the gym or doing a workout, climbing the stairs is something you can easily fit into your day at home, at work or when you're out,” Dr. Paddock said.

Stair climbing may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly people with mobility limitations or certain joint conditions. Researchers also said future studies using wearable devices could help determine more precisely how much stair climbing provides the greatest health benefit.

The study, Evaluating the Impact of Stair Climbing on Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, was published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs.

Study Finds Early Artery Damage in Many Adults in Their 20s

A new study suggests that cardiovascular health problems may begin much earlier than many people realize. Researchers found that nearly 8 in 10 adults in their early 20s showed signs of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a group of connected conditions that can increase the risk of heart disease later in life.

The study, published in Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes, also found that young adults with more advanced CKM syndrome were more likely to show early signs of artery damage.

What Is CKM Syndrome?

CKM syndrome describes the link between heart disease, kidney disease, excess body fat, and metabolic conditions such as high blood sugar and diabetes. Health experts use a staging system to estimate risk, ranging from Stage 0, with no identified risk factors, to Stage 4, which includes established cardiovascular disease such as heart attack, heart failure, or stroke.

Researchers found that about 80 percent of study participants were in CKM stages 1 through 3. These stages indicate the presence of risk factors such as excess body fat, unhealthy blood sugar levels, or other early health changes associated with future cardiovascular disease.

Early Signs of Artery Injury

The study analyzed health information from 1,283 young adults with an average age of 23. Researchers used ultrasound imaging to examine the carotid arteries, the major blood vessels in the neck that carry blood to the brain.

Participants with more advanced CKM syndrome stages had thicker artery walls, an early sign of atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up inside arteries. Atherosclerosis can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke over time.

Although these changes do not necessarily cause symptoms in young adulthood, they may signal a higher risk of future cardiovascular problems.

Healthy Habits Matter

Researchers also evaluated participants using the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8, a framework for measuring cardiovascular health. The eight factors include:

• Healthy eating
• Regular physical activity
• Avoiding tobacco
• Healthy sleep
• Healthy weight
• Healthy cholesterol levels
• Healthy blood sugar levels
• Healthy blood pressure

People with more advanced CKM syndrome generally had lower Life's Essential 8 scores, indicating poorer overall cardiovascular health.

Why the Findings Are Important

Current cardiovascular risk calculators are generally designed for adults age 30 and older, making it more difficult to estimate long-term risk in younger people. The researchers say their findings highlight the importance of monitoring heart health earlier in life.

The study does not prove that CKM syndrome causes artery damage, but it shows a strong association between higher CKM stages and signs of early arterial injury. The authors conclude that prevention efforts should begin in adolescence and young adulthood, when lifestyle changes may help improve long-term heart, kidney, and metabolic health before serious disease develops.

Coffee Consumption Linked to Less Fat, More Muscle and Metabolic Health

Coffee has long been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but researchers are still trying to understand why. A new study from Finland suggests that habitual coffee consumption may be linked to differences in body fat, muscle mass, metabolism and sex hormones.

The findings do not prove that coffee causes these changes. But researchers say they may offer clues about the biological pathways that could help explain some of coffee’s previously observed health associations.

More Coffee Linked to Less Body Fat

Researchers at the University of Oulu analyzed data from 2,264 adults, all age 46, who participated in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. They compared participants’ usual coffee consumption with measurements of body composition, metabolic health and circulating sex hormones.

People who consumed more coffee tended to have less total body fat and visceral fat — the fat that surrounds organs deep inside the abdomen — and greater skeletal muscle mass. These differences were seen, even though participants had similar body mass index, or BMI, a measure of weight in relation to height.

Higher coffee consumption was also associated with lower levels of branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs. These amino acids are building blocks of protein, but persistently high levels in the bloodstream have been associated in previous research with insulin resistance and a greater risk of type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells do not respond normally to insulin, the hormone that helps move glucose, or blood sugar, into cells for energy.

Hormonal Associations Differed Between Men and Women

Researchers found some of the strongest associations among men. Greater coffee consumption was linked to a more favorable pattern of glucose and insulin levels, along with higher total and bioavailable testosterone and higher levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, or SHBG.

SHBG is a protein that binds to sex hormones, including testosterone, and helps regulate how much hormone is available to the body’s tissues. Despite higher total testosterone, men who drank more coffee had modestly lower levels of free testosterone, the portion not bound to proteins.

Among women, coffee consumption had fewer hormonal associations. Higher intake was mainly linked to higher SHBG and lower levels of freely available androgens, a group of hormones that includes testosterone.

“What stood out in our findings was a distinct hormonal signature that didn't disappear even after we took into account BMI and lifestyle factors, with several of these associations differing between men and women,” said Luca Verroest, the study’s lead author and a doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu, in a news release.

Findings Do Not Prove Coffee Is the Cause

The researchers emphasized an important limitation: The study was observational. That means it can identify relationships between coffee consumption and biological measurements but cannot establish that drinking coffee directly caused the differences.

Researchers are now investigating whether coffee itself produces these metabolic and hormonal changes and, if so, which compounds may be responsible. More research, including controlled studies in humans, will be needed before the findings can be used to make specific dietary recommendations.