Lower Grip Strength Is Associated with Poorer Health Outcomes

Risks for cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, and all-cause death rose as grip strength declined.

Prior studies have shown that grip strength predicts risk for certain major illnesses and death (NEJM JW Gen Med Jul 1 2015 and Lancet 2015; 386:266; NEJM JW Gen Med Jun 15 2014 and BMJ 2014; 348:g2219). In this prospective population-based study, U.K. investigators examined associations between grip strength (measured by a “hand dynamometer”) and outcomes in 500,000 middle-aged adults (age range, 40−69).

During mean follow-up of 7 years, ≈3% of participants died. Adjusted for multiple potential confounders, risks per 5-kg lower grip strength were significantly higher for all-cause death (≈18%) and death due to cardiovascular disease (≈20%), respiratory disease (≈28%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (≈22%), and cancer (≈12%). Likewise…

Reviewing Author

Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Lower Grip Strength Is Associated with Poorer Health Outcomes

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Reviewing Author