Struggling to balance on one leg for
20 seconds or longer was linked to an increased risk for small blood vessel
damage in the brain and reduced cognitive function in otherwise healthy people
with no clinical symptoms, according to new research in the American Heart
Association’s journal, Stroke, which was reported in the Science Daily.
“Our study found that the ability to
balance on one leg is an important test for brain health,” said Yasuharu
Tabara, lead study author and associate professor at the Centre for Genomic
Medicine at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto, Japan.
“Individuals showing poor
balance on one leg should receive increased attention, as this may indicate an
increased risk for brain disease and cognitive decline,” he said.
The study consisted of 841 women and
546 men, average age of 67. To measure one-leg standing time, participants
stood with their eyes open and raised one leg. The maximum time for keeping the
leg raised was 60 seconds. Participants performed this examination twice and
the better of the two times was used in the study analysis. Cerebral small
vessel disease was evaluated using brain magnetic resonance imaging.
Researchers found that the inability
to balance on one leg for longer than 20 seconds was associated with cerebral
small vessel disease, namely small infarctions without symptoms such as lacunar
infarction and microbleeds. They noted that:
(A) 34.5 per cent of those with more
than two lacunar infarction lesions had trouble balancing.
(B) 16 per cent of those with one
lacunar infarction lesion had trouble balancing.
(C) 30 per cent of those with more
than two microbleed lesions had trouble balancing.
(D) 15.3 per cent one microbleed
lesion had trouble balancing.
Overall, those with cerebral
diseases were older, had high blood pressure and had thicker carotid arteries
than those who did not have cerebral small vessel disease.
However, after adjustment for these
covariates, people with more microbleeds and lacunar infarctions in the brain
had shorter one-legged standing times. Short one-legged standing times were
also independently linked with lower cognitive scores.
Although previous studies have
examined the connection between gait and physical abilities and the risk of
stroke, this is among the first study to closely examine how long a person can
stand on one leg as an indication of their overall brain health.
“One-leg standing time is a simple
measure of postural instability and might be a consequence of the presence of
brain abnormalities,” said Tabara.
Small vessel disease occurs due to
microangiopathy of arterioles in the brain, making these arteries less
flexible, which can interfere with blood flow. Small vessel disease typically
increases with age.
Loss of motor coordination,
including balance, as well as cognitive impairment has been suggested to
represent subclinical brain damage. Tabara and colleagues also found a strong
link between struggling to stand on one leg and increased age, with marked
shorter one-leg standing time in patients age 60 and over.
Although the study did not assess
participants’ histories of falling or physical fitness issues, such as how fast
they could walk or any gait abnormalities, Tabara said the one-leg standing
test is an easy way to determine if there are early signs of being at risk for
a stroke and cognitive impairment and whether these patients need additional
evaluation.
Source: tribuneonlineng
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