According to a new study, the inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in later life is associated with almost double the risk of death from any cause over the next decade.
The simple balance test may be helpful in including it in routine physical exams for middle-aged and elderly people, the research suggested, which was published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Although aging leads to a decrease in physical fitness, muscle strength and flexibility, the balance tends to be reasonably well maintained until a person is 50 years old, when it begins to decline relatively quickly, he noted. research. Previous research has linked the inability to stand on one leg with an increased risk of falls and cognitive impairment.
The study included 1,702 people between the ages of 51 and 75 living in Brazil, who were asked to balance without leg support during an initial check-up. The researchers told participants to place the front of the free foot behind the standing leg, keeping their arms at their sides and their eyes fixed forward. Up to three attempts were allowed on each foot.
Being able to balance with one leg is important for the elderly for several reasons, and it also reflects broader levels of health, said study author Dr. Claudio Gil Araújo, at the Exercise Medicine Clinic – CLINIMEX – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. .
“Periodically we need … a leg posture, get out of a car, go up or down a step or ladder, etc. Not having that ability or being afraid to do so is likely to be related to loss of weight. “Autonomy and, as a result, less exercise and the snowball begins,” he explained.
BAD BALANCE AND LONGEVITY
Study participants had a mean age of 61 years and two-thirds of them were men. About one in five people did not balance on one leg for 10 seconds at the initial review.
The researchers monitored the participants after the initial review for a period of seven years, during which 123, 7%, of the people studied died. The proportion of deaths among those who failed the test (17.5%) was significantly higher than the proportion of deaths among those who were able to balance for 10 seconds (4.5%).
The study found that for those who were unable to complete the balance test there was an 84 percent higher risk of death from any cause, and that link was maintained even when other factors, such as age, sex, BMI, and pre-existing conditions or health risks, such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes – were into account.
However, the researchers were unable to include other variables in their analysis, such as recent history of falls, pattern of physical activity, exercise or sports, diet, smoking, and use of drugs that may interfere with balance. .
The research was observational and does not reveal cause and effect. The study did not examine any possible biological mechanisms that could explain the link between poor balance and longevity.
Dr. Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at the Institute of Medical and Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Glasgow, said the research was interesting but not definitive.
“Because a standing leg requires good balance, related to brain function, good muscle strength and good blood flow, it is likely to integrate the muscular, vascular and cerebral systems, so it is a global test of the risk of mortality. future, albeit crude, “Sattar said. who did not participate in the study.
“If someone can’t do the 10 seconds and is worried, they should think about their own health risks,” he said.
“They could try to make positive lifestyle changes, such as walking more, eating less if they realize they could do better; most underestimate the importance of lifestyle for health,” he said. . “But they could also consult with their doctor if, for example, risk factors for cardiovascular disease or other chronic conditions such as diabetes have not been measured.”
IMPROVING BALANCE
Overall, those who failed the test were in poorer health and included a higher proportion of people who were obese and / or had heart disease, high blood pressure, and unhealthy blood fat profiles, according to the study. Type 2 diabetes was also more common among those who did not complete the test.
The study was conducted between 2009 and 2020 and was part of a larger research project that began in 1994.
The inability to complete the balance test increased with age, more or less doubling in the following five-year intervals from the age range of 51 to 55 and onwards. More than half (about 54%) of study participants between the ages of 71 and 75 were unable to complete the test, compared to five percent of the lowest age group who were unable to complete the test. do it.
There were no clear trends in deaths, nor differences in causes of death, between those who were able to complete the test and those who were unable to do so.
Araújo said the balance could be substantially improved with specific training, and this was something he worked on with patients involved in a medically supervised exercise program. However, he said he did not yet have the data to assess whether improving the balance would affect longevity.
If you want to test your own ability to balance on one leg for 10 seconds, Araújo advised that it is best to be close to a wall or table or another person to support.