In contrast to aerobic fitness, muscle strength and flexibility, balance tends to remain relatively stable until one reaches 50 and then begins to decline rapidly. However, the balance test is not a normal part of regular health checks for middle-aged people, probably because there is no standardized test and there is little hard evidence linking it to injuries or illnesses beyond the fall, the researchers say. A team from Clinimex Medicina do Exercicio wanted to know if a balance test could be a reliable indicator of a person’s risk of dying from any cause within the next decade and if the test should therefore be part of routine health checks. They used participants from the CLINIMEX Exercise study, created in 1994, to assess the relationship between various fitness measures and the risk of ill health and death from cardiovascular problems. The current study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, included more than 1,700 participants between the ages of 51 and 75 (mean age 61) in their first trial between February 2009 and December 2020. About two-thirds (68%) were men.
1 in 3 seniors could not pass the balance test
The study authors took several measurements of the weight, thickness of skin folds and waist size of each individual. They also gathered details about their medical history. Only those with stable gait participated in the experiment. As part of the test, participants had to stand on one leg for 10 seconds without any additional support. They were asked to place the front of the free foot on the back of the opposite lower foot, keeping their hands on their sides and their eyes fixed straight on the front. The researchers allowed each person to try it up to three times with both feet. One in five (20.5%) failed the test and this percentage increased with age – doubling at five-year intervals starting at age 51. Among those 51 to 55 years old, almost 5% failed. Eight percent failed between the ages of 56 and 60. Eighteen percent failed between the ages of 61 and 65, and more than one in three (37%) failed between the ages of 66 and 70. More than half of those 71 to 75 could not complete the test, which means that people in this age group were more than 11 times more likely to fail than 20 years younger. During a seven-year follow-up period, 123 (7%) people died.
The risk of death increases by over 80 percent!
These deaths accounted for 32 percent of cancer deaths, 30 percent of cardiovascular deaths, 9 percent of respiratory diseases, and 7 percent of COVID complications. There were no clear time trends in deaths, or differences in causes, between those who could complete the test and those who could not. However, the death rate among those who failed the test was significantly higher: 17.5 percent compared to just 4.5 percent. In general, those who failed the balance test had worse health. Many were obese, had heart disease or high blood pressure and high blood fat. Type 2 diabetes was three times more common in this group, about 38 percent versus 13 percent in those who passed the test. After counting age, gender and underlying health conditions, not being able to stand without one leg for 10 seconds showed an association with an 84 percent increased risk of death from any cause within the next decade. “This is an observational study, and therefore, it can not determine the cause,” said study author Dr. Claudio Gil Araujo, according to a statement from the South West News Service. “As the participants were all white Brazilians, the findings may not be more widely applicable to other ethnicities and nations.” “And information about potential influencers, including recent history of falls, physical activity levels, diet, smoking and use of medications that may affect balance, was not available.” “The 10-second balance test provides fast and objective feedback to the patient and healthcare professionals about static balance,” say the researchers at SWNS. “The test adds useful information on the risk of mortality in middle-aged and older men and women.” South West News Service writer Danny Halpin contributed to this report.
