Middle-aged people who can’t stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds appear to be at higher risk of dying within a decade, a new study has shown. The results come from a study of fitness and health among 1,702 people over the age of 50 in Brazil, starting in 2009.
For the study, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, participants were given a simple exercise of lifting one foot and placing it behind the lower part of the opposite leg, off the ground, while keeping their arms at the sides. and looking forward. They were allowed three attempts. One in five failed the test.
In the study, the proportion of deaths among those who failed the test was significantly higher, at 17.5%, than among those who passed, at 4.5%.
Because of the study, health experts said adding a balance component to routine physical exams for older people could give doctors important health information. With 680,000 people dying each year around the world, this 10-second test can easily be used to help identify people who may be vulnerable.
“The test has been remarkably safe, well received by participants, and, most importantly, easy to incorporate into our routine practice, requiring less than 1-2 minutes to administer,” they concluded.
The researchers found no increased risk of any specific cause of balance-related death.
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