Two simple at-home checks can give a quick sense of heart health.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US; the article describes two quick at-home checks — timing stair climbs and measuring resting and exercise heart rate — that can give a general indication of heart health, though they are not as accurate as clinical tests.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and the article outlines two quick at-home checks people can use to get a general sense of heart health. These simple tests are not as accurate as examinations at a medical facility, but the article reports they can offer useful information in minutes without special equipment. One check measures how long it takes to climb multiple flights of stairs. The other involves measuring resting and exercise heart rate. Key findings: - A 2020 study cited by the article reported that taking more than 1½ minutes to ascend four flights of stairs was described by the study author as indicating suboptimal health. - The same study found that 58% of patients who took longer than 1½ minutes had abnormal heart function on a treadmill test, according to the report. - A 2018 study of more than 12,000 participants found slower stair-climb times were associated with higher five-year heart-disease mortality (3.2% versus 1.7%), and the article notes both studies focused on people with symptoms of coronary artery disease. - The article explains that resting heart rate is the pulse at rest and that a general adult range is often reported as about 60–100 beats per minute; higher resting rates have been linked in research to lower fitness, higher blood pressure, and increased risk of heart attack and death. - Maximum heart rate is commonly estimated as 220 minus age, and the article cites Harvard Health ranges for exercise intensity: about 64–76% of maximum for moderate exercise and 77–93% for vigorous exercise. - Practical measurement details in the article include feeling the radial pulse at the wrist, counting beats for 15 seconds and multiplying by four for beats per minute, measuring resting heart rate in the morning, and that chest-strap monitors are generally more accurate for exercise heart rate. Summary: These at-home checks can offer quick, general information about exercise capacity and heart rate but are not definitive tests. The studies cited linked slower stair-climb times with treadmill abnormalities and higher short-term mortality among symptomatic people. Resting and exercise heart rate measurements provide additional context about fitness and cardiac response to exertion. The article notes that clinical evaluation and testing are needed for a definitive assessment.