Weak Grip, Slow to Stand: Heart Disease and Stroke More Often
Graded Moderate — a large observational study of 7,258 adults over almost eight years; it shows links but cannot prove that muscle strength protects the heart.
- Design
- Prospective cohort study
- Participants
- 7,258
- Duration
- 7.8 years
- Funding
- —
People with a weak grip who were also slow to rise from a chair developed heart disease or stroke about twice as often.
How hard you can squeeze and how fast you get up from a chair may say something about your heart and blood vessels. In a large study from China, middle-aged and older adults with less strength more often developed heart disease or had a stroke. The link was strongest in people who had both a weak grip and a slow rise from the chair. Their risk was about twice that of the strongest group.
Researchers followed 7,258 adults for 7.8 years on average. None had heart disease or a stroke at the start. The team measured grip strength and timed how long each person took to rise from a chair. By the end, about one in four had fallen ill. The slowest risers had a 53 percent higher risk than the fastest, even after accounting for other factors.
The link pointed the same way whether blood sugar was normal, slightly raised or in the diabetes range. In people with diabetes, the grip strength link was similar in size but not statistically clear. The study only observed people, so it cannot show that building strength protects the heart.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.