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Handgrip Strength Linked to Cardiovascular Risk and Healthy Ageing
Your hand strength may tell doctors something about your overall health.
Strong muscles need healthy blood vessels to receive oxygen and remove waste.
When muscles become weaker, it can sometimes be linked with stiff blood vessels, inflammation, or loss of muscle.
Muscles also help remove sugar from your blood.
The PURE study found that weaker grip strength was associated with higher risks of death and cardiovascular death.
A grip tester can measure how strongly someone squeezes.
Strength exercises may help maintain muscle quality and grip strength.
A weak handshake alone cannot diagnose heart disease, so people should speak with a qualified doctor about concerns.
Handgrip strength is increasingly studied as a non-invasive indicator associated with cardiovascular health and ageing.
The PURE study tracked nearly 140,000 adults across 17 countries over several years.
Researchers reported that grip strength predicted overall mortality and cardiovascular death better than systolic blood pressure.
Each 5-kilogram decline in grip strength was linked to a 17% higher cardiovascular mortality risk.
The article recommends resistance exercises and medical consultation, while stressing that grip strength is not a substitute for professional advice.
- Who
- Researchers from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study and Dr K. Srinivas, identified as a senior consultant cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals.
- What
- The article examines how handgrip strength is associated with cardiovascular risk, mortality, muscle health, and ageing.
- Where
- The PURE study covered 17 diverse socio-economic nations; Dr K. Srinivas is associated with Apollo Hospitals.
- When
- The article does not provide a publication date; the PURE study followed participants over a multi-year period.
- Why
- Grip strength may reflect systemic muscle health, blood-vessel function, inflammation, and the body’s ability to process glucose.
Key facts
- Study
- Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study
- Participants
- Nearly 140,000 adults
- Study scope
- 17 diverse socio-economic nations
- Cardiovascular mortality finding
- Every 5-kilogram decline in grip strength was linked to a 17% higher risk
- Other mortality finding
- Every 5-kilogram decline was linked to a 7% higher risk of non-cardiovascular death
- Measurement tool
- A handheld grip-strength tester measures squeezing force in kilograms or pounds
- Recommended approach
- Resistance exercises and compound movements may help maintain muscle quality and grip strength
Quotes
Dr K. Srinivas
Senior Consultant Cardiologist and Preventive Heart Care Specialist at Apollo Hospitals
“In clinical practice, when we see a significant decline in grip strength, it often reflects underlying arterial stiffness, chronic subclinical inflammation, or loss of skeletal muscle mass, all of which directly elevate cardiovascular risk. Simple resistance exercises and compound movements can significantly improve muscle quality and support long-term heart resilience.””
NDTV
“Handgrip strength is much more than a measure of how hard you can shake someone's hand; it is an underutilised, non-invasive biomarker of systemic arterial health and muscular integrity.””
NDTV
Sources
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