A person's ability to stand on one leg for at least 20 seconds may give a good indication of their brain health, a new study suggests.

According to Japanese researchers, those who cannot balance on one leg for this amount of time ‘should receive increased attention, as this may indicate an increased risk for brain disease and cognitive decline'.

They looked at over 1,400 men and women with an average age of 67. Participants were asked to keep their eyes open and raise one leg for a maximum time of 60 seconds. They did this twice and their better time was used in the researchers' analysis.

The study found that those who could not stand on one leg for longer than 20 seconds had an increased risk of developing cerebral small vessel disease and had reduced cognitive function.

Cerebral small vessel disease occurs when the small arteries in the brain become damaged or start to deteriorate because of a buildup of plaque or the formation of small tears. This makes them more inflexible and affects the blood flow in the brain. The disease can lead to a loss of motor coordination and cognitive impairment and also increases the risk of a stroke.

"Our study found that the ability to balance on one leg is an important test for brain health. One-leg standing time is a simple measure of postural instability and might be a consequence of the presence of brain abnormalities," commented lead author, Dr Yasuharu Tabara, of Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.

The researchers added that getting a person to stand on one leg is an easy way to assess if they may be at risk of developing cognitive problems or suffering a stroke.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Stroke.