LAXENBURG, Austria — Can’t open that pickle jar no matter how hard you try? It may seem trivial, but new research from Austria reports that weak grip strength can indicate more serious health problems.
The researchers say that muscle strength has been a fairly accurate predictor of mortality for years. Meanwhile, previous studies have specifically associated weak grip strength (even among younger adults) with heart problems, lung problems, and a shorter life expectancy.
Now scientists at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis report that measuring grip strength is a quick and inexpensive means of assessing overall muscle strength. Additionally, the research team has developed a more comprehensive approach to measuring grip strength.
The study authors even developed a series of “cutoff points” designed to help measure grip strength more easily. Importantly, these cutoffs also explain the correlation between grip strength with gender and body height, as well as the natural age-related decline in grip strength that everyone experiences.
The team set out to determine exactly what level of weakness in the grip should raise concern from a doctor. His work established standardized thresholds that directly link handgrip strength to rest. Life expectancy. In theory, this provides clinicians with another means of identifying patients with a increased risk of premature death.
“In general, grip strength depends on a person’s gender, age and height. Our task was to find the threshold related to handgrip strength that would prompt a clinician to do further testing if a patient’s handgrip strength is below this threshold. It is similar to measuring blood pressure. When the blood pressure level is outside a particular range, the doctor may decide to prescribe a particular medication or send the patient to a specialist for further examination,” explains IIASA researcher Sergei Scherbov in a college throw.
Even a slightly weak grip could be a bad sign.
People can usually measure their grip strength tightening a dynamometer. For this project, patients had to perform two handshakes with each hand, and the researchers used only their best performance for measurement. This test is actually more delicate than most would assume. For example, the measured force values depend on whether the person is sitting or standing while squeezing.
Instead of simply comparing the participants’ grip performance to a healthy reference population as in previous studies, the researchers compared each participant’s grip to comparable individuals in terms of gender, age and body height.
The results of that review suggest an increased risk of mortality at a more sensitive grip threshold than the level established in previous studies. For example, the study found that a grip strength slightly below the average for a comparable population (taking into account a person’s gender, age, and body height) “is indicative of health conditions leading to death.” early”.
So a stronger grip is a good thing, right?
Interestingly, the relationship between grip strength and mortality may not work both ways. A stronger grip Compared with others of the same age, sex and body height, it did not appear to reduce mortality risk.
“Grip strength is a cheap and easy test to perform, but it can help with early diagnosis of health problems and other underlying health conditions. Controlling the grip strength of the hands of the elderly (and, indeed, middle-aged people) can provide great public health benefits for aging populations. Our findings make it clear that handgrip strength is a highly accurate and sensitive measure of underlying health conditions. Therefore, we suggest that it be used as a screening tool in medical practice,” says Nadia Steiber of the University of Vienna.
“It is important to note that we are not suggesting that people should train grip strength in particular to lower mortality risks. Chances are, if someone improves their grip strength through exercise, there will be little to no impact on their overall health. However, low grip strength can serve as an indicator of disability because it reflects low muscle strength, which is associated with an increased risk of death. A healthy lifestyle and exercise remain the best approaches to maintaining or improving good health in the long term,” concludes Sonja Spitzer, postdoctoral researcher at the Wittgenstein Center for Demography and Global Human Capital and the University of Vienna.
the to study is published in Open BMJ.