WHAT YOUR GRIP STRENGTH TELLS YOU

If you're looking for a way to predict who might become physically disabled or might suffer from physical problems that limit their ability to function later in life, test their hand-grip strength.

That's what researchers at the National Institute on Aging found when they tested 6,089 men ranging from age 45 to 68--and then retested them 25 years later. They concluded that "hand-grip strength was highly predictive of functional limitations and disability 25 years later." They added that "good muscle strength in midlife may protect people from old age disability by providing a greater safety margin above the threshold of disability."

The researchers noted that "muscle strength is found to track over the life span." They went on to say that "people with greater muscle strength during midlife are at a lower risk of becoming disabled because of their greater reserve of strength regardless of chronic conditions that may develop."

Why hand-grip strength? The researchers said that it correlated with the strength of other muscle groups, giving a good indication of overall strength.

But what about those with weak hand-grip strength? Are they destined to suffer later in life? Not necessarily. The researchers held out hope by suggesting that they might profit from engaging in exercises designed to improve strength in all muscle groups.

The researchers also noted that:
--"Grip strength at midlife may be a marker of physical activity, which itself preserves function and prevents disability."
--People with low grip strength may have a subclinical disease, which later might develop into in a more-serious disease and disability.
--Good grip strength may have something to do with some kind of intrinsic midlife vitality or motivation that may contribute to good functional ability later in life.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association