For people with three or more long-term illnesses, having stronger hands relative to their body weight is linked to a much lower chance of dying over time.

People who can't squeeze as hard with their hands are more likely to die sooner or have heart problems, even if they don't have heart disease or cancer yet.

Whether you're in your 50s or 70s, having stronger hands is linked to living longer—this holds true for both younger seniors and the oldest adults.

When you adjust for body size, people with stronger hands relative to their weight are much less likely to die over time than those with weaker hands for their size.

People who can squeeze harder with their hands tend to live longer, even when you account for how old they are, whether they smoke, or if they have other health problems.

Even when you remove people who already had heart disease or cancer, weak grip still predicts higher risk of dying or having heart problems — so it’s not just because they’re already sick.