In Many Populations, Grip Strength Predicts Risk for Major Illness and Death

Grip strength has been shown repeatedly to predict morbidity, disability, and mortality, but most data have come from high-income countries, and the mechanism underlying this relation is poorly understood. In this large, multinational, longitudinal study of risk factors for chronic noncommunicable diseases, nearly 140,000 adults in 17 countries were stratified into tertiles based on low, medium, and high baseline grip strength. High baseline grip strength was associated with variables such as younger age, male sex, and greater physical activity. Low baseline grip strength was associated with chronic cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders.

After median follow-up of 4 years (and after adjustment for various potentially confounding conditions),…