This is according to new research findings published on June 21, 2022, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
According to the researchers, this simple and safe balance test could be included in routine health checks for older adults.However, balance assessment isn’t routinely included in health checks of middle-aged and older men and women.The scientists, 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.In general, those who failed the test had poorer health: a higher proportion was obese, and/or had heart disease, high blood pressure, and unhealthy blood fat profiles.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.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.”.Reference: “Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals” by Claudio Gil Araujo, Christina Grüne de Souza e Silva, Jari Antero Laukkanen, Maria Fiatarone Singh, Setor Kwadzo Kunutsor, Jonathan Myers, João Felipe Franca and Claudia Lucia Castro, 21 June 2022, British Journal of Sports Medicine.June 21, 2022June 21, 2022