How long can you stand on one leg?
A study claims that if you can′t do it for more than 20 seconds, it could be a sign that you′re at risk of a stroke later in life.
Sohn Jung-in has more.
Doctors conducted a test in which they asked two people to each balance on one leg.
One patient has suffered from a past stroke, while the other has maintained a healthy lifestyle.
The patient who had suffered stroke started to lose balance after 10 seconds and failed to stand for more than 20 seconds.
Meanwhile, the other person, stood firm and continued on for more than a minute.
"In the past, I could not move the right side of my body since it was entirely paralyzed."
A group of Japanese researchers had 14-hundred men and women, average age 67, try the balancing act and later took pictures of their brain.
The result of the analysis found that 34 percent of participants with more than two infarctions experienced difficulty balancing on one leg for longer than 20 seconds.
The study also revealed that the inability to balance was linked with minor small vessel damage in the brain.
The more problems they had in their brain blood vessels, the less time they could stand on one leg.
"For stroke patients, the part of the brain that is responsible for physical activities is damaged, making their ability to walk or balance themselves relatively low."
It is important to detect silent strokes in their early stages, since it can later lead to severe strokes.
A simple test may actually save you from more severe complications.
Sohn Jung-in, Arirang News.
