If you can’t stand on one leg for 10 seconds, your health may be in danger.

Can standing on one leg for 10 seconds indicate if you are healthy? A large-scale study published on 21 June 2022 in the UK-based BMJ Journals shows that this may be possible.

Balance declines rapidly after the mid-50s, increasing the risk of falls and other adverse health problems. The study evaluated whether the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds was associated with an all-cause death.

In the study, in which participants were asked to stand on a flat platform as part of the assessment, it was revealed that not being able to hold one leg position for 10 seconds in middle-aged participants increased the risk of death due to all causes and therefore a lower life expectancy.

Poor balance indicates cognitive decline

A gradual decline in physical fitness and decrease or changes in muscle strength, flexibility, stability and body composition components are common with age. However, according to the study, the weakening of stability can reveal many diseases.

The study investigated the performance of 1702 people aged 51 to mid-75 to determine whether lousy stability was linked to a higher risk of death. Every 5 years between 2008 and 2020, participants were asked to stand on a platform, keep their arms around their bodies, and look at a point. 3 attempts were allowed.

At the end of the research processes, it was observed that more than half (53.6 percent) of the participants after the age of 71 failed the test. Many of these patients also had onset of cognitive decline.

In addition to showing that the ability to stand on one leg decreases with age, the experiment also reveals an association with a higher risk of death.

Participants who couldn’t stand on one leg were observed to have an 84 percent higher risk of all-cause death and a lower survival rate than others. And these rates were calculated regardless of risk factors such as gender, age, weight, diabetes, obesity and hypertension.

According to the researchers, stability tests during the supervision of individuals over the age of 50 may reveal cognitive decline in particular.

Signs of old age and dementia should not be confused

It is very valuable to distinguish between the signs of dementia and the natural effects of aging. Dementia scares the patient as it affects the brain and changes the personality. For this reason, denial is common among many elderly people with dementia who try to hide their symptoms from loved ones. This can delay the diagnosis.

The concept of aging is used to describe the cognitive changes that occur in some people over the age of 65 and are considered a module of the normal aging process. Various cognitive declines may be seen in this process, but it is not a pathological condition.

Symptoms of dementia

Everyone may experience memory loss from time to time, but how can the line between easy forgetfulness and dementia be noticed? Several simultaneous symptoms must be experienced to suspect dementia.

Memory loss interferes with daily life

Individuals with dementia have short-period memory issues. For example, they tend to forget an appointment set the day before or misplace objects. It is also possible for these individuals to cover up their distress or make false accusations, for example, by arguing that the loss of their mobile phone is not because they misplaced it, but because someone stole it. Changes worry them, they find no explanation, and they are sometimes embarrassed to forget things. Personality changes, such as much insecurity and delusions, can also be the first signs of the onset of dementia.

Spatial and temporal harmony difficulties

In people with dementia, the sense of side gradually decreases. Even if they know a place properly, they can no longer find the way. Especially when driving or in places they do not know, harmony issues arise. Time orientation can also be a problem. They may forget what day it is or they may not remember when they went somewhere.

Difficulties in managing daily and routine tasks

Those affected by dementia may have difficulty using certain objects they use every day, such as a television remote control. They may also find it difficult to use a washing machine, computer or ATM. Or they may stop making their payments regularly because this is too much trouble. Taking more time to complete daily tasks and making more mistakes is in the midst of dementia symptoms.

Difficulties in planning and problem solving

People with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia find it increasingly difficult to organize and plan mundane activities. The easy preparation of a meal and all its stages (shopping, cooking, serving) or a trip (buying tickets, organizing, etc.) become more and more troublesome for them. If problems arise, they cannot indeed solve them. They lose self-confidence in the face of issues and have less courage to solve problems.

language disorders

Difficulty expressing oneself clearly without word-searching is the classic first symptom of Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia. The person concerned is no longer able to find words of truth or is cut off in the middle of the sentence. As the disease progresses, the person becomes silent.

Personality changes and inappropriate behavior

It is normal for personality to develop and change throughout life. But these changes are much more obvious in individuals with dementia. The feeling that they are losing control of their lives is the main reason for these behavioral changes. They may also adopt unusual or inappropriate behavior.