HYPERtension Reduction Through WALKing Stairs Versus Brisk Walking

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Metabolic Disease, Cardiovascular Diseases, Hypertension, Obesity and Overweight

In brief

This clinical trial investigates whether incorporating stair walking into daily routines improves physical health in adults at risk of lifestyle-related conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Participants will be randomized into three groups: (1) stair walking combined with brisk walking, (2) brisk walking alone, and (3) a control group receiving standard lifestyle advice without specific exercise instructions, stratified by age (\<65 y/o, v \>=65) and site. The primary objective is to assess whether the combination of stair and brisk walking leads to greater reductions in systolic blood pressure compared to brisk walking alone or standard care. Secondary outcomes include changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. Participants in the stair walking group will be instructed to climb ≥250 steps per day (\~5.5 minutes/day or \~37.5 minutes/week), or complete an equivalent elevation via inclined slopes, along with ≥75 minutes of brisk walking per week. Those in the brisk walking group will walk ≥150 minutes per week. The control group will receive general lifestyle advice but no tailored physical activity goals or feedback. Participants in both active groups will aim to double their baseline activity levels. Physical activity will be continuously monitored using wearable devices. The active groups will receive personalized feedback and motivational support throughout the 6-month intervention period. If effective, this study may offer a simple, scalable, and low-cost intervention model for use in clinical and public health settings, emphasizing personalized goals, remote monitoring, and behavioral support.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT06952348
Run by: Karolinska Institutet
People needed: 450
Starts: 2025-11-27
Expected to finish: 2029-05-01
Last updated by the study team: 2025-12-08

Who can join

Age: 35 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Men and women aged 35 years or older with increased cardiometabolic risk, defined by all of the following:
Clinically confirmed hypertension, with or without antihypertensive treatment, as documented in the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Overweight or obesity, defined as BMI between 27 and 40.
Physically inactive lifestyle, defined as either:
Light intensity or inactive category on the Stanford Brief Activity Survey (SBAS), or
Light intensity or inactive category in the physical activity section of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare Lifestyle Questionnaire.

You may not qualify if…

Medical contraindications to physical activity (based on FYSS 2021, p. 182):
Severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis
Acute pulmonary embolism, myocarditis, pericarditis, or systemic infection (e.g., fever, muscle pain, lymphadenopathy)
Suspected or known aortic dissection
Severe hypertension (Grade 3: SBP >180 mmHg or DBP >110 mmHg), regardless of symptoms
Unstable coronary artery disease (including unstable angina, suboptimally treated stable angina, or recent myocardial infarction <8 weeks)
Symptomatic, uncontrolled arrhythmia
Symptomatic, uncontrolled heart failure
Other exclusion criteria:
Implanted pacemaker or ICD
Pregnancy
Inability to understand Swedish or English
Any condition that may interfere with protocol compliance (e.g., severe mental illness or cognitive impairment)
Inability to walk stairs

Where it is running

Liljeholmen Primary Care Center — Stockholm, Sweden (enrolling)
Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset Huddinge — Stockholm, Sweden
Södersjukhuset — Stockholm, Sweden
Södertälje sjukhus — Stockholm, Sweden

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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