The jar lid you hand to someone else now. The grocery run that used to be one trip and is now two. The suitcase you used to swing into the overhead bin without thinking.
Nobody throws a party for grip strength. But it turns out researchers have been paying close attention to it.
What the researchers did
The PURE study followed nearly 140,000 adults across 17 countries for about four years [1][2]. At the start, each person squeezed a simple handheld device that measures grip strength. Then the researchers tracked what happened to their health.
What they found
For every 5 kg (about 11 pounds) lower grip strength, the researchers found [1][2]:
- a 16% higher risk of dying from any cause
- a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke
- a 7% higher risk of heart attack
- a 9% higher risk of stroke
Grip strength was a stronger predictor of death than systolic blood pressure [2].
What it does not show
This is an observational study. It shows a link, not a cause. Grip strength is most likely a marker of overall strength and health, not a magic muscle. Squeezing a stress ball all day is not the lesson here.
Why it matters to you
Strength is not vanity, and it is not only for the young. It is one of the clearest signals of how your body is doing, and it is something you can measure and something you can train.
If you have felt yourself getting weaker and quietly decided that is just how it goes now, this is your permission to take it seriously.
Sources
- Leong DP, Teo KK, Rangarajan S, et al. Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. Lancet. 2015;386(9990):266-73. Link
- NEJM Journal Watch CardioExchange. Get a grip: global study finds grip strength is a simple and powerful predictor of death. May 13, 2015. Link
