Middle-aged people who cannot stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds appear to be at higher risk of dying within a decade, a study published on Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine said.
Researchers found that volunteers who struggled with the simple balancing test were 84 percent more likely to die in the following 10 years than those who could stand unsupported, after taking into account variables such as age and illness.
The results stem from a study of fitness and health that started in 2009 among 1,702 people aged 50 or older in Brazil.
Participants were asked to lift one foot and place it behind the opposite lower leg — without touching the ground — while keeping their arms at their sides and looking forward, said the paper, which is titled: “Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals.”
They were allowed three attempts. One in five failed the test, generally those who were older or in poorer health.
Adding a balance component to routine physical exams for older people could provide doctors with important health information, the researchers from Brazil, Finland, Australia, the UK and the US said.
More than 680,000 people die each year from falls globally, and the 10-second test can be easily used to help identify those who might be vulnerable, the researchers said.
“The test has been remarkably safe, well-received by the participants, and importantly, simple to incorporate in our routine practice as it requires less than one or two minutes to be applied,” they said.
It also gives rapid and objective feedback to patients and health professionals, they said.
People tend to maintain their balancing ability until they reach their 60s, when it starts to rapidly decline, they said.
In the study, the proportion of deaths among people who failed the test was significantly higher, at 17.5 percent, than among those who passed, at 4.5 percent.
The researchers did not find an increased risk of any specific cause of death tied to balance.
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