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Whether or not you can balance on one leg could say something about your brain health

Balancing on one leg sounds like an easy enough task, but it’s actually difficult for […]

Balancing on one leg sounds like an easy enough task, but it’s actually difficult for some people, which could mean more than that they might struggle in a yoga class.

According to Medical News Today, some new research published in Stroke reports an association between the inability to balance for more than 20 seconds and an increased risk for small blood vessel damage and reduced cognitive function. This correlation appears in people who are otherwise asymptomatic.

“Our study found that the ability to balance on one leg is an important test for brain health,” said lead study author Yasuharu Tabara, from the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto, Japan.

This isn’t the first time that the one-leg balance has been used as an indicator for health issues. In a study published in the BMJ earlier this year, researchers found an association between the amount of time people at the age of 53 were able to balance on one leg and all cause mortality rates.

Tabara’s study took a look at quite a few people:

The researchers asked participants to stand on one leg for up to 60 seconds (if possible) with both eyes open. This examination was carried out twice, with the best recorded time from each participant used within the study analysis. A total of 841 women and 546 men, with an average age of 67, participated in the study.

Afterward, the brains of the participants were examined using MRI to evaluate any cerebral small vessel disease damage. Cognitive impairment was also measured by the researchers, using computer-based questionnaires.

The connection between the inability to balance is associated with cerebral small blood vessel disease – specifically small subclinical infarctions (lack of blood supply to tissue, which leads to tissue death like lacunar infarctions and microbleeds).

The following numbers of participants had trouble balancing on one leg:

  • 34.5% of participants with more than two lacunar infarction lesions

  • 16% of participants with one lacunar infarction lesion

  • 30% of participants with more than two microbleed lesions

  • 15.3% of participants with one microbleed lesion.

Unfortunately the researchers didn’t look at history of injuries, falls, or any issues with physical fitness performance in general, but the study does still bring to light some new specifics about the balance issue.

“One-leg standing time is a simple measure of postural instability and might be a consequence of the presence of brain abnormalities,” concludes Tabara. “Individuals showing poor balance on one leg should receive increased attention, as this may indicate an increased risk for brain disease and cognitive decline.”

[Photo from flickr user Candace Carrillo]

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