https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-06-inability-leg-seconds-mid-life.html Inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in mid to later life linked to near doubling in risk of death by British Medical Journal Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in mid- to later life is linked to a near doubling in the risk of death from any cause within the next 10 years, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. This simple and safe balance test could be included in routine health checks for older adults, say the researchers. Unlike aerobic fitness and muscle strength and flexibility, balance tends to be reasonably well preserved until the sixth decade of life, when it starts to wane relatively rapidly, note the researchers. Yet balance assessment isn't routinely included in health checks of middle-aged and older men and women, possibly because there isn't any standardized test for it, and there are few hard data linking it to clinical outcomes other than falls, they add. The researchers therefore wanted to find out whether a balance test might be a reliable indicator of a person's risk of death from any cause within the next decade, and, as such, might therefore merit inclusion in routine health checks in later life. The researchers drew on participants in the CLINIMEX Exercise cohort study. This was set up in 1994 to assess associations between various measures of physical fitness, exercise-related variables, and conventional cardiovascular risk factors, with ill health and death. The current analysis included 1,702 participants aged 51-75 (average of 61) at their first checkup, between February 2009 and December 2020. Around two thirds (68%) were men. Weight and several measures of skinfold thickness plus waist size were taken. Details of medical history were also provided. Only those with stable gait were included. As part of the checkup, participants were asked to stand on one leg for 10 seconds without any additional support. To improve standardization of the test, participants were asked to place the front of the free foot on the back of the opposite lower leg, while keeping their arms by their sides and their gaze fixed straight ahead. Up to three attempts on either foot were permitted. In all, around 1 in 5 (20.5%; 348) participants failed to pass the test. The inability to do so rose in tandem with age, more or less doubling at subsequent 5 year intervals from the age of 51-55 onwards. The proportions of those unable to stand on one leg for 10 seconds were: nearly 5% among 51-55 year-olds; 8% among 56-60 year-olds; just under 18% among 61-65 year-olds; and just under 37% among 66-70 year-olds. More than half (around 54%) of those aged 71-75 were unable to complete the test. In other words, people in this age group were more than 11 times as likely to fail the test as those just 20 years younger. During an average monitoring period of 7 years, 123 (7%) people died: cancer (32%); cardiovascular disease (30%); respiratory disease (9%); and COVID-19 complications (7%). There were no clear temporal trends in the deaths, or differences in the causes, between those able to complete the test and those who weren't able to do so. But the proportion of deaths among those who failed the test was significantly higher: 17.5% vs. 4.5%, reflecting an absolute difference of just under 13%. In general, those who failed the test had poorer health: a higher proportion were obese, and/or had heart disease, high blood pressure, and unhealthy blood fat profiles. And type 2 diabetes was 3 times as common in this group: 38% vs. around 13%. After accounting for age, sex, and underlying conditions, an inability to stand unsupported on one leg for 10 seconds was associated with an 84% heightened risk of death from any cause within the next decade. This is an observational study, and as such, can't establish cause. As participants were all white Brazilians, the findings might not be more widely applicable to other ethnicities and nations, caution the researchers. And information on potentially influential factors, including recent history of falls, physical activity levels, diet, smoking and the use of drugs that might interfere with balance wasn't available. Nevertheless, the researchers conclude that the 10-second balance test "provides rapid and objective feedback for the patient and health professionals regarding static balance," and that the test "adds useful information regarding mortality risk in middle-aged and older men and women."
I just tried this test right now. I passed. With flying colors. -- I could probably stand on my leg for 10 minutes, I take care of my body. I workout, stretch and do cardio exercises for 30 mins/everyday. Take the right supplements, vitamins, protein powder. Lots of water. Milk. No soda, or candy or alcohol or smoking.
I would expect most athletes, yoga people or someone that consistently works out should easily pass this test but also be able to do it for longer periods. Also, do it with your eyes closed and on a mat instead of a hard floor...I do this a lot with my young daughter in her home yoga program. It helps in strengthening your balance. wrbtrader
Why no soda? Do you mean by this carbonated water, ie. mineral water? I cannot drink any other water, esp. no tap water.
Those carbonation bubbles, drinks, will decay your bones and teeth, and also upset your stomach. Even if it's carbonated, sparkling, water...you still shouldn't drink that stuff. You should learn to understand and respect your body. Every little change, variable, element, you do...has a rather profound chain reaction effect to every aspect of your health and life and mind. If you have two exact twins....and one drank bottled water, while the other drank carbonated, sparkling, water.....I can pretty much guarantee you those two people will look different, think different, and be different.
Thanks, that's news for me as I was thinking exactly in the opposite direction, that it's healthy. Will need to do my own Q&D research to convince myself of the said. Just found the results of this study: https://www.healthline.com/health/f...onated-water-bad-for-you#calciumloss-in-bones It says only sugary beverages (ie. cola) is harmful, but not normal mineral water (ie. w/o any sugar).
This study is similar to my observations: Old people who can walk up 3 floors without stopping tend to live longer. DUH....
The fack? Yes. If it is carbonated, it will be carbonated. The planet of Vulcan just exploded. But Fizzy drinks still exist. You know why? Because CO2 does not decay bones and teeth. We breathe it out of our lungs thousands of times per day. OOPS!