Step Up to Reduce the Risk of PAD

From changing your diet and getting more exercise to regular arterial screenings, there are several ways to reduce the risk of PAD (peripheral arterial disease.) But now, thanks to new research, we’ve learned an easy and free way to reduce your risk for this concern. As it turns out, all you have to do is climb the stairs! Here’s what you need to know.

Reduce the Risk of PAD, One Step at a Time

According to evidence presented at the 2024 European Society of Cardiology in updates on Preventive Cardiology, climbing the stairs improves your heart health and lowers your risk for all forms of cardiovascular disease, including PAD.

Specifically, after analyzing 9 separate studies and reviewing data from 480,479 participants (53% of whom were women), climbing the stairs reduced your risk for dying from cardiovascular disease by 39%. It also reduced your risk for dying of any cause by 24%. Interestingly, study participants had diverse health backgrounds—some were completely healthy participants, while others had medical histories that included complications such as PAD or previous heart attacks.

In revealing these findings, lead study author Dr. Sophie Paddock gave this advice: “If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the [elevator], go for the stairs, as it will help your heart.” Furthermore, she noted, “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.” As such, she concluded, “We would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their day-to-day lives. Our study suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits…So, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, take the stairs.”

Know Your Risk, and When to Seek Intervention

As Dr. Paddock’s findings suggest, everyone can benefit from climbing more stairs each day, regardless of their individual PAD risk. However, if you have a higher risk for this form of cardiovascular disease, you may need to take additional preventative health measures, or even seek medical intervention to improve blood flow to your legs and feet. Not sure how to assess your personal disease risk? Click here to review your peripheral artery disease risk factors, or follow this link to request an appointment with the Texas Endovascular Specialists.

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