Abstract
We evaluated the relationship between daily stair climbing activity and vascular function as assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation (NID). This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 374 patients with hypertension were enrolled. The subjects were divided into three groups based on their daily stair climbing habit: no stairs group, climbing stairs to the 2nd-floor group, and climbing stairs to the ≥3rd-floor group. There was a significant difference in FMD between the ≥3rd-floor group and the other two groups (3.3 ± 2.5% vs. 2.3 ± 2.7% and 2.4 ± 2.7%, p = 0.02, respectively). FMD values were similar in the no stairs group and the 2nd-floor group (p = 0.96). There was a significant difference in NID between the no stairs group and the other two groups (7.4 ± 4.2% vs. 10.9 ± 5.3% and 11.3 ± 5.1%, p < 0.001, respectively). NID values were similar in the second-floor group and the ≥3rd-floor group (p = 0.86). These findings suggest that both endothelial function and vascular smooth muscle function are impaired in individuals who do not climb stairs and that endothelial function but not vascular smooth muscle function is impaired in individuals who climb stairs to the second floor compared with individuals who climb stairs to the ≥3rd floor. Stair climbing activity, a simple method for assessing daily physical activity, may reflect vascular function in patients with hypertension.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all of the patients who participated in this study. In addition, we thank Miki Kumiji, Megumi Wakisaka, Ki-ichiro Kawano, and Satoko Michiyama for their excellent secretarial assistance.
Funding
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (18590815 and 21590898 to Y. Higashi).
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Yamaji, T., Harada, T., Hashimoto, Y. et al. Stair climbing activity and vascular function in patients with hypertension. Hypertens Res 44, 1274–1282 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-021-00697-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-021-00697-z
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