The Study
Association between relative handgrip strength and hypertension in Chinese adults: An analysis of four successive national surveys with 712,442 individuals (2000-2014)
This study found that people with weaker hand grips were more likely to have high blood pressure, but it doesn't prove that weak hands cause high blood pressure. It could be that people with high blood pressure move less and get weaker, or that something else (like diet or lack of exercise) affects both.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
People with stronger hands relative to their body weight tend to have lower blood pressure. This study looked at hundreds of thousands of Chinese adults over 15 years and found that as people’s hand strength got weaker compared to their weight, their blood pressure tended to go up.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this is a big jump in risk, similar to the effect of gaining a lot of weight or not exercising, and it happened even in people who weren’t overweight.
- 2When hand strength relative to body weight dropped by one typical amount (interquartile range), the chance of having high blood pressure went up by 43% to 58%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
PLoS ONE
Year
2021
Authors
Q. Feng, Chong-min Jiang, Mei Wang, Rui Cai, Huan Wang, Dongming Wu, Fubaihui Wang, Lizi Lin, G. Nassis
Related Content
Claims (6)
In China, between 2000 and 2014, handgrip strength relative to body weight decreased in all adult age groups and both sexes, in both cities and rural areas.
People with stronger handgrips relative to their body size have lower rates of hypertension, regardless of whether they are normal weight, overweight, or obese.
People with a higher strength-to-weight ratio tend to have better overall health.
In Chinese adults aged 20–69, lower handgrip strength relative to body weight is associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg.
People with weaker handgrip strength relative to their body size have a higher risk of developing hypertension, even when accounting for age, sex, lifestyle, and body composition.
In adults aged 20–39, lower handgrip strength is more strongly linked to high blood pressure than in adults aged 60–69.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.