Does a strong handshake predict a longer life?
Friday 10 September 2010
Grip strength, the speed we walk or rise from a chair and our ability to balance could be indicators of how long we may live, according to a new study by scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Scientists at the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing analysed the findings of 33 studies across the world, which included over 50,000 men and women who were followed for up to 43 years. Study volunteers with a stronger handgrip and better performance on other physical tests lived longer than their weaker counterparts. Researchers believe these simple measures could be used in health assessments to monitor health and guide decisions on health care.
Grip strength was measured in study volunteers aged from 18 years to old age (80 years+) and the link between grip strength and survival was visible in younger as well as older adults. The other tests of physical capability, including tests of walking speed, chair-rising and standing balance, were conducted in volunteers aged 60 years and older. More research, however, is required to determine whether these are able to predict long-term survival in younger people, in the same way as grip strength.
Dr Rachel Cooper from the Medical Research Council, who led the analysis, said:
“Simple non-invasive assessment measures like these, that are linked to current and future health, could help doctors identify those most vulnerable to poor health in later life and who may benefit from early intervention to keep them active for longer. Research that helps people to enjoy a long and healthy life is a crucial part of the MRC’s work and evermore important to help cater for the health needs of an ageing population.”
The paper, ‘Objectively measured physical capability levels and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis’ is published in the British Medical Journal today. The research was funded by the MRC and the New Dynamics of Ageing.
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For more information contact the MRC Press Office on 020 7637 6011 or email pressoffice@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Notes to Editors
1. The 33 studies were conducted between 1984 and 2009
2. The research analysed published and unpublished results. It was possible to perform meta-analyses for grip strength (one analysis included 13 studies with a total of 44,636 study participants and another analysis included 14 studies with a total of 53,476 participants), walking speed (including 5 studies with 14,692 participants) and chair rises (including 5 studies with 28,036 participants). It was not possible to perform a meta-analysis of the results from the 5 studies which examined standing balance (16,266 participants) as balance had not been measured in comparable ways but there was still evidence that poorer balance was associated with increased mortality.
3. Grip strength tends to be measured in kilograms, walking speed in metres per second, chair rise time in seconds (to perform 5 rises) and standing balance in time in seconds. Most analyses compared those in the best performing quarter with others. Additional analyses for grip strength estimated the rate of death per 1kg increase in grip strength. Cut-points for poor performance have not been identified. The scientists propose that further research is necessary to identify clinically relevant cut-points.
4. For almost 100 years the Medical Research Council has improved the health of people in the UK and around the world by supporting the highest quality science. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It has produced 29 Nobel Prize winners and sustains a flourishing environment for internationally recognised research. The MRC focuses on making an impact and provides the financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs, including one of the first antibiotics penicillin, the structure of DNA and the lethal link between smoking and cancer. Today MRC funded scientists tackle research into the major health challenges of the 21st century. www.mrc.ac.uk
5. The New Dynamics of Ageing Programme is a seven year multidisciplinary research initiative with the ultimate aim of improving quality of life of older people. The programme is a unique collaboration between five UK Research Councils - ESRC, EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC and AHRC - and is the largest and most ambitious research programme on ageing ever mounted in the UK. There are 35 projects, 136 senior researchers and over 50 early-career researchers from over 50 different institutions all over the country. The two major themes are 'Ageing well across the life course' and 'Ageing and its environment'. Please visit their website at: www.newdynamics.group.shef.ac.uk.
