If you have difficultly standing on one leg, it could be a sign of something more serious than overdoing it at the office Christmas party.
Middle-aged and elderly people who could not balance on one leg for more than 20 seconds were more likely to suffer tears and bleeds in the brain that put them at risk of stroke, Japanese scientists found. People with poor balance also did worse in tests of mental decline that suggest a link with dementia.
Yasuharu Tabara, who led the research at Kyoto University, said: “The ability to balance on one leg is an important test for brain health. Individuals showing poor balance on one leg should receive increased attention, as this may indicate an increased risk for brain disease