While you wait

How many stairs should leave you out of breath?

Most people don't actually know. This 1-minute check-in asks a few simple questions about your breathing — nothing about your name or health history — to help you spot anything worth mentioning to your doctor today.

💡 Did you know your heart health is closely linked to your lung health?

Your responses aren't linked to your name and are only used to understand how this check-in helps people like you.

Just a couple of quick details

This helps us understand who's using this check-in — your name is never asked, and nothing here is linked back to you.

What's your age?

<40
Under 40
40+
40 and above

What's your gender?

M
Male
F
Female
—
Prefer not to say

Which state do you live in?

Question 1 of 4

Getting out of breath climbing about 10–12 stairs —

Doesn't happen to me
Happens sometimes
Happens almost every time
Question 2 of 4

When you walk with friends or family at a normal pace —

I keep up without a problem
I sometimes fall behind
I often have to stop and catch my breath
Question 3 of 4

Does trouble breathing ever wake you up at night?

Never
A couple of nights a week
Most nights
Question 4 of 4

In the past year, how many times has your breathing gotten bad enough that you needed reliever medication, a steroid burst, or a trip to urgent care or the ER?

Not at all
1–2 times
3 or more times

By taking care of your breathing, you're taking care of your heart

References

  1. Bestall JC, Paul EA, Garrod R, Garnham R, Jones PW, Wedzicha JA. Usefulness of the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea scale as a measure of disability in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax. 1999;54(7):581–586.
  2. Sin DD, Man SFP. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2005;2(1):8–11.
  3. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of COPD, current report — goldcopd.org
  4. Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, current report — ginasthma.org

"Cardiac Load" here is an educational indicator based on your answers, not a medical diagnosis, a clinical test result, or a measurement of your actual heart or lung function. It doesn't replace medical advice. Its purpose is to help you notice patterns worth mentioning to your doctor — your doctor is the one who can tell you what it actually means for you.