Grip strength predicted death better than blood pressure
Across 17 countries, every 5 kg lower grip strength meant about 16% higher all-cause mortality. Grip beat systolic blood pressure as a predictor.
What they studied
- Design
- Prospective cohort (PURE study)
- People
- 139,691 adults aged 35–70 in 17 countries of varying income
- Follow-up
- Median 4 years, 3,379 deaths
- Measure
- Grip strength with a hand dynamometer
What they found
- Each 5 kg lower grip strength meant 16% higher all-cause mortality (HR 1.16) and 17% higher cardiovascular mortality.
- Lower grip was also linked to more heart attacks (HR 1.07) and strokes (HR 1.09).
- Grip strength predicted all-cause and cardiovascular death better than systolic blood pressure.
- There was no link with diabetes, falls or fractures.
How strong is the evidence
Cohort · n≈140k
What this design cannot tell us:
- Observational: it does not show that training grip lowers risk.
- Four years of follow-up is fairly short.
What it means for your training
- Test your grip once a year: it is quick, cheap and informative.
- Carries, hangs and heavy pulls keep it high, and grip reflects overall strength.
Our summary of the published abstract. Read the original paper for full details.
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