Shared opinion about new stroke research – Västerbotten Courier

The difficulty balancing on one leg?

In this case, you may be at risk for a stroke, according to new Japanese research.

From the Swedish side is questioned, however, the study strongly.

Difficulty standing on one leg may be an indication that the person already suffering from so-called “silent” brain infarcts, ie, less cerebral infarcts and micro-hemorrhages. This in turn would be evidence of an increased risk of more serious forms of stroke, according to research published in the prestigious American journal Stroke.

– Individuals who show instability when standing on one leg and has problems walking should receive increased attention as it can be a symptom of an abnormality in the brain, says researcher Yasuharu Tabara.

The study enrolled 841 women and 546 men, average 67 years old. With eyes open, subjects received standing on one leg for 60 seconds.

One of three participants with a history of two or more silent brain infarcts had problems with balance.

Michael Elam, Professor and consultant in clinical neurophysiology at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, has reviewed the research but is, however, deeply dubious.

– It is not very exciting. To measure someone’s ability to stand on one leg’s a general test. That old people can not stand on one leg might as well have a peripheral cause, ie that it is not related to the brain, says he said.