Healthy Heart Challenge: Ensuring cardiac wellness, one stair at a time

New Delhi: A unique campaign to spread awareness about cardiac wellness is encouraging people to upload on social media videos of them climbing 60 stairs in a minute and tag five others inviting them to take up the challenge and check their heart health.

The 'Heart2Heart – Healthy Heart Challenge', launched on September 22, is a JB Pharma initiative supported by HEAL Foundation which aims to address concerns about heart health and spread awareness around it on the occasion of World Heart Day.

According to the organisers, 750 people have already undertaken the challenge and have uploaded their videos on social media.

According to a study published in a leading international cardiology journal, climbing stairs is the simplest method for indicative assessment of heart health. It has highlighted that failing to climb four floors (60 steps) in 90 seconds can be a sign of suboptimal heart function, it stated.

According to the study, people who can climb 60 steps in under 1 minute may have optimal heart function.

As part of the Heart2Heart – Healthy Heart Challenge, one needs to climb 60 stairs, which translates to around four floors, in a minute, make a video of it and share it on social media tagging five people, inviting them to take up the challenge.

"Although advances in care have spurred improvements in cardiovascular outcomes, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally," said Dr S C Manchanda, senior consultant cardiologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi.

Of these deaths, 85 per cent are due to heart attack and stroke, the doctor said.

Physical activities play a pivotal role in keeping the heart healthy.

"Of many physical activities, climbing stairs, vigorously or at moderate speed, gives significant cardiovascular and muscular benefits as has been proven in a study by McMaster University.

"During the research, it was found that even in a short period, whether it was moderate intensity, continuous training or high-intensity stair climbing, there were beneficial adaptations in muscles after a cardiac procedure," Dr Manchanda said.

The severity of heart disease in India is at an all-time high and has been increasing gradually. India will have the notorious distinction of recording the highest number of cardiac deaths in the world by 2030 with every fourth death occurring due to cardiovascular diseases, said Dr Vinod Sharma, the Vice Chief Executive Officer and Head of Cardiology Services, National Heart Institute, New Delhi.

"For certain heart conditions, exercise can be as powerful as some medications. Of many forms of physical activity, climbing stairs has been a scientifically proven exercise and is a simple and free test of one’s heart health," Dr Sharma said.

Dr Purshotam Lal, Chairman of Metro Group of Hospitals said, "Check your heart health regularly starting as early as possible to avoid problems. This is now feasible through a fairly easy heart risk assessment involving stair climbing. In such a situation, the Heart2Heart Campaign for Healthy Heart is a much-needed initiative to promote stair climbing to test heart health in India to reduce future cardiac risks"