Cardiologists often use the simple "stair test" to gauge patients' heart health. Unlike expensive tests like MRI or angiography, it's quick, free, and effective—as confirmed by new research from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
Factors like age, lifestyle, diabetes, high cholesterol, or family history can impair heart function. While exams such as MRI, angiography, Doppler ultrasound, ECG, or chest X-rays detect issues, the stair test offers a simpler alternative.
Climbing stairs stresses the heart significantly, which is why experts have used this test for decades. A recent ESC study reaffirms its reliability.
The study involved 165 patients with coronary artery disease, who experience chest pain or breathlessness during intense exercise. They first underwent a treadmill test, walking and running to exhaustion.
This measured their peak exercise capacity in metabolic equivalents (METs), a standard for assessing cardiac event risk, like stroke, over the next decade.
After resting, participants climbed four flights of stairs (about 60 steps) as quickly as possible without stopping. Their time was correlated with MET scores.
METs range from 0.9 (sleep) to 18 (sprinting at 17.5 km/h)—higher values indicate greater fitness.
Those completing the climb in under 45 seconds achieved 9-10 METs, linked to low mortality (<1% per year, or 10% over 10 years). In contrast, over 60 seconds yielded <8 METs, associated with 2-4% annual mortality (30% over 10 years).
Heart scans during treadmill tests showed 58% of slow climbers (>1 minute) had abnormal function, versus 32% of faster ones.
This everyday activity mirrors lab results, empowering self-assessment. Poor performance warrants a cardiologist visit.
"We sought a simple, low-cost way to check heart health. The stair test delivers," says lead researcher Dr. Jesús Peteiro, cardiologist at University Hospital of A Coruña. "If four flights take over a minute, consult a doctor—your heart health may need attention."
