Introduction to Longevity Prediction

A simple, though not necessarily easy, test may help predict how many years a person has left, according to exercise researchers who have been tracking thousands of middle-aged and older people for more than a decade.

The Sitting-to-Rising Test

The sitting-to-rising test requires enough balance, muscle strength, and flexibility to be able to sit down on the floor without using arms, hands, or knees and then to stand up again just as unaided. The movement is a way to determine non-aerobic fitness and reveals potential problems that might be otherwise missed, according to the report published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology on Wednesday.

Methodology and Participants

The team at the Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro recruited 4,282 adults, mostly men, ages 46 to 75. After evaluating the participants’ health, the researchers presented them with the test. Using a zero to five-point system, participants got a perfect score if they were able to go from standing upright to sitting on the floor without touching anything on the way down.

Scoring System

Each body part, say a hand or an elbow or a knee, that was used to guide or help balance resulted in a subtraction of one point from the total. People also lost half a point for being wobbly. On the way back up, points were subtracted if extremities touched anything.

Follow-Up and Results

Twelve years later, the researchers followed up with the participants. By that time, there had been 665 deaths overall due to “natural causes,” the researchers found. The vast majority of perfect scorers were still alive at follow-up, as compared to a little more than 9 in 10 of those who had lost two points and, dramatically, just under half of those with scores between 0 and 4.

Implications for Heart Disease

Among participants initially diagnosed with heart disease, those with low scores on the test were more likely to have died by the 12-year mark.

Importance of Non-Aerobic Fitness

Aerobic fitness is important but muscle strength, a healthy body mass index, or BMI, balance, and flexibility are also vital for healthy aging, said Dr. Claudio Gil Araújo, director of research and education at the clinic and the study’s lead author. People can improve on their deficits and then score better on the test.

Expert Insights

While the study doesn’t directly link a perfect score to longevity, “it is quite reasonable to expect this,” Araújo said. The new findings are part of a growing field of longevity. Other recent research includes a balance test: People who couldn’t stand for 10 seconds on one foot were nearly twice as likely to die within the following 10 years as those who could manage the balance.

Clinical Applications

Keith Diaz, a professor of behavioral medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center, said the new test can be a conversation starter for doctors to get patients thinking about what it takes for healthy aging. If someone scores poorly, “you might be able to get them to start working on their flexibility and balance,” Diaz said. “If the patient is struggling to get off the floor, it could be a red flag for their overall health.”

Improving Performance

Dr. Joseph Herrera, chair of the department of rehabilitation and human performance for the Mount Sinai Health System, cautioned that for someone who can’t successfully stand up and sit down without help, there are ways to improve. Weight training, balance training, and improving flexibility can help.

Other Assessment Tools

Other tests that have become popular, Herrera said, include the six-minute walk, where the point is to see how far the person can travel in six minutes; and the sit-to-stand-sit test, in which the patient is asked to sit in a chair, then rise out of a chair and then sit down again five times in 30 seconds. “We should be looking at the results of these tests as pieces of a puzzle,” he said.

Conclusion

The sitting-to-rising test offers a simple yet insightful tool for predicting longevity and assessing non-aerobic fitness. By incorporating this test into clinical practice, healthcare providers can encourage patients to focus on improving their muscle strength, balance, and flexibility, ultimately contributing to healthier aging.

FAQs

• Q: What is the sitting-to-rising test?
  A: The sitting-to-rising test is a method used to assess non-aerobic fitness by evaluating an individual’s ability to sit down on the floor and stand up without using their arms, hands, or knees.
• Q: How is the test scored?
  A: The test uses a zero to five-point system, where points are subtracted for each body part used for support or balance during the movement.
• Q: What does the test predict?
  A: The test can predict longevity, with higher scores associated with a lower risk of death over a 12-year period.
• Q: Can performance on the test be improved?
  A: Yes, performance can be improved through weight training, balance exercises, and flexibility exercises.
• Q: Are there other similar tests?
  A: Yes, other tests like the balance test, six-minute walk, and sit-to-stand-sit test are used to assess aspects of physical fitness related to longevity.