Taking the stairs could be a surprisingly powerful habit, with regular stair climbers showing dramatically lower risks of heart-related and overall death. Credit: Shutterstock 养成走楼梯的习惯可能出人意料地有效，经常走楼梯的人患心脏病和总体死亡的风险显著降低。图片来源：Shutterstock
New research from the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital suggests that something as simple as choosing the stairs could contribute to a longer life. 东安格利亚大学和诺福克及诺维奇大学医院的最新研究表明，选择走楼梯这样简单的事情也可能有助于延长寿命。
The large study found that people who regularly climbed stairs had a substantially lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Frequent stair climbers were 39% less likely to die from heart-related causes and 24% less likely to die from any cause compared with people who climbed stairs less often. 这项大型研究发现，经常爬楼梯的人死于心血管疾病的风险显著降低。与不常爬楼梯的人相比，经常爬楼梯的人死于心脏相关疾病的可能性降低了39%，死于任何原因的可能性降低了24%。
Regular stair climbing was also associated with a lower likelihood of developing serious cardiovascular conditions, including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. 经常爬楼梯也与降低患上严重心血管疾病（包括心脏病、中风和心力衰竭）的可能性有关。
Prof Vassilios Vassiliou, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide — with cases nearly doubling between 1990 and 2019. But it is largely preventable through a healthy lifestyle — including regular physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. 东英吉利大学诺里奇医学院的瓦西里奥斯·瓦西里乌教授表示：“心血管疾病是全球首要死因——1990 年至 2019 年间，病例几乎翻了一番。但通过健康的生活方式，包括定期进行体育锻炼、健康饮食、不吸烟、保持健康体重以及控制血压、胆固醇和糖尿病，心血管疾病在很大程度上是可以预防的。”
“Taking the stairs is a practical and often overlooked way to build physical activity into daily life. “走楼梯是一种实用且常常被忽视的方式，可以将体育锻炼融入日常生活。”
“We wanted to better understand how this everyday activity could have life-saving potential.” “我们想更好地了解这种日常活动如何具有拯救生命的潜力。”
Large Study Links Stair Climbing to Lower Death Risk 大型研究表明爬楼梯与降低死亡风险有关
Researchers set out to determine whether regularly climbing stairs might help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. 研究人员着手确定经常爬楼梯是否有助于降低患心血管疾病和过早死亡的风险。
The team reviewed nearly 1,900 studies before analyzing data from more than 480,000 people included in nine high-quality studies. Participants were followed for a median of 14 years. 研究团队在分析来自九项高质量研究的超过48万名参与者的数据之前，审查了近1900项研究。参与者接受了平均14年的随访。
The group included both healthy individuals and people with a previous history of heart problems. Participants ranged in age from 35 to 84, and 53% were women. 该组受试者包括健康个体和有心脏病史的个体。受试者年龄介于35岁至84岁之间，其中53%为女性。
Dr. Sophie Paddock, also from UEA’s Norwich Medical School and a cardiology specialist registrar at the NNUH, said: “After pooling results from over 450,000 participants, we found a consistent association between stair climbing and lower risk of both cardiovascular death and overall mortality. 来自东英吉利大学诺维奇医学院的 Sophie Paddock 博士，同时也是诺维奇和诺维奇大学医院的心脏病专科注册医生，表示：“在汇总了超过 45 万名参与者的结果后，我们发现爬楼梯与降低心血管死亡和总体死亡风险之间存在一致的关联。
“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. It’s a good option for people who don’t have much time or easy access to exercise. “与去健身房或进行锻炼不同，爬楼梯很容易融入你的日常生活中，无论是在家、在工作场所还是外出时。对于那些没有太多时间或不方便锻炼的人来说，这是一个不错的选择。”
“So if you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart. “所以，如果可以选择走楼梯或乘电梯，那就走楼梯，因为这样对你的心脏有益。”
“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.” “即使是短暂的体育锻炼也能对健康产生有益的影响，而短时间爬楼梯应该是一个可以融入日常生活的可行目标。”
Even Short Bursts of Stair Climbing May Help 即使是短暂的爬楼梯也可能有所帮助。
Earlier research cited by the researchers found that spending just a few minutes climbing stairs several times each week can improve cardiorespiratory fitness and reduce cholesterol levels. 研究人员引用的早期研究发现，每周只需花几分钟时间爬几次楼梯，就能改善心肺功能并降低胆固醇水平。
One large cohort study included in the analysis indicated that climbing about six flights of stairs each day might provide the greatest benefit. However, researchers say more work is needed to determine the ideal “dose” of stair climbing. 一项纳入分析的大型队列研究表明，每天爬大约六层楼梯可能带来最大的益处。然而，研究人员表示，还需要开展更多研究来确定理想的爬楼梯“剂量”。
Dr. Paddock said: “Some of the studies we looked at showed that the more stairs climbed, the greater the health benefits. But even small changes had a measurable impact.” 帕多克博士说：“我们研究的一些结果表明，爬楼梯越多，对健康的益处就越大。但即使是微小的改变也会产生可衡量的影响。”
A Simple Way to Add More Physical Activity 增加体育活动的简单方法
The results add to growing evidence that even relatively short periods of physical activity can produce meaningful health benefits. 研究结果进一步证实，即使是相对较短时间的体育锻炼也能带来显著的健康益处。
Prof Vassiliou said: “With more than a quarter of adults worldwide failing to meet recommended activity levels, choosing to take the stairs offers a realistic, scalable intervention. 瓦西里乌教授说：“全球超过四分之一的成年人未能达到建议的活动水平，选择走楼梯提供了一种现实的、可扩展的干预措施。
“Encouraging people to take the stairs in workplaces, public buildings and homes could form part of a wider strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease at population level.” “鼓励人们在工作场所、公共建筑和家中走楼梯，可以成为降低人群心血管疾病发病率的更广泛战略的一部分。”
Stair Climbing Is Not Suitable for Everyone 爬楼梯并不适合所有人。
Despite the potential benefits, the researchers note that climbing stairs may not be appropriate for everyone, especially people with mobility limitations or joint conditions. 尽管爬楼梯可能带来一些好处，但研究人员指出，爬楼梯可能并不适合所有人，特别是行动不便或患有关节疾病的人。
They also say future studies should use wearable technology to track physical activity more precisely and help determine the most effective amount of stair climbing to recommend. 他们还表示，未来的研究应该使用可穿戴技术来更精确地跟踪身体活动，并帮助确定最有效的爬楼梯量以进行推荐。
‘Evaluating the Impact of Stair Climbing on Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis’ is published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs. 《评估爬楼梯对降低心血管风险的影响：系统评价和荟萃分析》发表于《 美国心血管药物杂志》。
