Are you having a problem opening a pickle jar, irrespective of how hard you try? Although it might seem insignificant, recent research from Austria claims that poor handgrip strength could be a symptom of more significant health problems.
Muscle power I a predictor of death
According to experts, a reasonably reliable predictor of death for many years has always been muscle power. Prior research has also linked a shorter life expectancy, pulmonary difficulties, and weak grip strength especially (even in younger persons). The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis’s researchers now claims that evaluating grip strength is a rapid and affordable way to determine overall muscular strength.
The researchers set out to determine precisely what degree of handgrip instability might raise a doctor’s alarm. Their research created consistent thresholds that directly connected handgrip strength to overall life expectancy. Theoretically, this gives medical professionals another way to spot individuals who are at a higher risk of passing away too soon.
IIASA researcher Sergei Scherbov said, “In general, handgrip strength depends on gender, age, and the height of a person. Our task was to find the threshold related to handgrip strength that would signal a practitioner to do further examinations if a patient’s handgrip strength is below this threshold. It is similar to measuring blood pressure.”
Whenever the person’s blood pressure goes beyond a certain range, the doctor may choose to refer them to a professional for additional testing or choose to give a specific medication.
A weak grip may be a sign of problems.
Generally, a dynamometer could be squeezed to determine a person’s grip strength. However, patients were required to press two times with every hand for the project, with the measure only considering the best result. In actuality, this trial is more sensitive than most people would think. For instance, all assessed strength values vary depending on if the subject squeezes while sitting or standing.
It is vital to note that low grip strength could indicate disability since it reflects low muscle strength attributed to high death risk.
