If you have problems standing on one foot for 10 seconds, this may make you feel quite uneasy. We say this without intending to frighten you, but it’s possible that it will.
Regardless of the reason, the probability of dying within the following decade was shown to be roughly quadrupled in recent research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and included people who could not stand alone on either leg.
Although falls are a leading cause of accidental mortality all across the globe, this study’s focus on people in the middle to late stages of life suggests that the link between equilibrium and longevity extends well beyond the prevention of simple stumbles.
Researchers followed 1,072 people over the course of 12 years; all were between the ages of 51 and 75 and had what they considered to be a “normal gait.”
At the outset of the experiment, all participants were required to perform a standardized balancing evaluation, which entailed three attempts at standing for ten seconds unsupported on each leg.
There were 123 deaths due to a wide range of causes throughout those 12 years. Shockingly, the specialists found that 17.3% of the deceased had failed the first balancing test, compared to a mortality rate of just 4.5% among individuals who had passed the exam.
There are flaws in the study. One issue is that the physicians only looked at white Brazilians, so it’s unclear whether their findings apply to the whole population.
No claims regarding causality are made in the study, but the intriguing findings may encourage more research to understand the phenomenon better.
Until then, regular examinations at the doctor’s office may include a balancing test.
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