Bloomberg— Middle-aged people who cannot stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds appear to have a higher risk of dying within a decade.according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The researchers found that volunteers who had difficulty performing a simple balance test were 84% more likely to die within the next 10 years than those who could stand without support, after accounting for variables such as age and disease. The results come from a study of physical fitness and health of 1,702 people over the age of 50 in Brazil, which began in 2009..

Participants are asked to lift one leg and place it behind the opposite leg (off the ground) while keeping their arm by their side and looking straight ahead. They can make three attempts. One in five fail the test, usually those who are older or in poorer health.

According to researchers from Brazil, Finland, Australia, the UK and the US, adding a balance component to the routine physical examination of older people can provide doctors with important information about their health.. More than 680,000 people die each year from falls worldwide, and the 10-second test could easily be used to help identify those who may be vulnerable, the researchers said.

“This test is very safe, well received by the participants and, more importantly, easy to incorporate into our practice routine, as its implementation takes less than 1 or 2 minutes,” they concluded.. In addition, it provides fast and objective information to patients and healthcare professionals, they note.

People tend to maintain their ability to balance until they reach their 60s, at which point it begins to decline rapidly..

In the study, the proportion of deaths among people who failed the test was significantly higher, 17.5%, than among those who passed., 4.5%. The investigators did not find an increased risk of cause-specific death related to balance.

This article was translated by Andrea González