Studies show that grip strength, a simple measure of overall muscle strength, is one of the strongest (pun intended) predictor of chronic disease and all-cause mortality.
In other words, the muscles of your hands, wrists and fingers that you use to grab, pull or carry things, open jars, do pull ups, or, if you’re so inclined, to hang on a monkey bar, determine better than almost anything to be associated with risk for a wide range of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and increased risk of premature death. Weak muscles, more frailty and worse outcomes; strong muscles, less frailty and generally better outcomes.
In a study published in 2015 in The Lancet, health outcomes of nearly 140,000 people across 17 countries were tracked over four years, using a variety of measures, including grip strength. Grip strength was not only “inversely associated with all-cause mortality” — every 5 kilogram (kg) reduction in grip strength was associated with a 17 percent risk increase. Research team leader, McMaster University professor of medicine Darryl Leong, noted, “Grip strength was a stronger predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality than systolic blood pressure.”
Grip strength has even been found to correlate more closely with aging than chronological aging itself! Science shows that the preservation of muscle strength as we age, through physical activity and exercise, is a critical determinant of disease prevention and longevity.
Some low grip strength correlations:
- More sarcopenia (muscle wasting)
- Longer hospital stays and 3-fold increased risk of not being discharged alive
- Lowered cognitive performance
Unfortunately, as a society, our grip strength has declined 20% in one generation. Less manual labor, more automation, more TV shows, video games and social media consumption, and overall more sedentary lives may be to blame.
All this said, you may wonder if the people with the strongest grips live the longest. Unfortunately, researchers can’t make those claims. Men have stronger grips than women but women in general live longer. Just strengthening your grip does not ensure a long, healthy life, as there are many contributing factors at work.
Best to consider grip strength — and muscle strength in general — as a useful indicator of your own health and longevity trajectory.