People with weaker handgrip strength relative to their body weight tend to have worse metabolic syndrome scores.

Adults with the smallest handgrip strength and largest waist size had over 4 times higher risk of metabolic syndrome issues in women and over 8 times in men compared to those with strongest grip and smallest waist.

The worst metabolic health is seen in people who have both a big waist and weak muscles for their size—this combination is a much stronger warning sign than either one alone.

People who are weaker for their body size—measured by how hard they can squeeze a handgrip device—are more likely to have multiple metabolic health issues like high blood sugar and bad cholesterol.

Using both waist size and handgrip strength together predicts metabolic syndrome better than using either one alone.

People with weak hands and weak bones are more likely to be older, poorer, less educated, and have diabetes — their grip strength reflects their overall life circumstances and health challenges.