Stronger Grip Means Longer Life
Association of absolute and relative hand grip strength with all-cause mortality among middle-aged and old-aged people
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Relative grip strength (grip/BMI) was 6.8 times more predictive of mortality than absolute grip strength.
Most clinical tools use absolute grip strength — this study shows adjusting for body size makes the signal dramatically stronger, which no one expected to be this extreme.
Practical Takeaways
Buy a $15 hand grip dynamometer and test your grip strength monthly. Divide it by your BMI (weight in kg / height in m²) to get your relative grip score — aim for above 1.1 kg/BMI.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Relative grip strength (grip/BMI) was 6.8 times more predictive of mortality than absolute grip strength.
Most clinical tools use absolute grip strength — this study shows adjusting for body size makes the signal dramatically stronger, which no one expected to be this extreme.
Practical Takeaways
Buy a $15 hand grip dynamometer and test your grip strength monthly. Divide it by your BMI (weight in kg / height in m²) to get your relative grip score — aim for above 1.1 kg/BMI.
Publication
Journal
BMC Geriatrics
Year
2023
Authors
W. Jeong, J. Moon, Jae-Hyun Kim
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Claims (6)
The stronger your hand grip, the lower your chance of dying early — even small increases in grip strength are linked to better survival in people with weak bones.
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.
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 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.
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.