Imagine if a simple handshake could offer powerful insights into heart disease. This isn’t just a metaphor. Grip strength has emerged as an indispensable data point for assessing and monitoring patients with complex health conditions, including heart disease.It’s amazing what grip strength says about your health.
In this article, we explore several benefits of measuring grip strength and the connection between grip strength and heart health.
The measurement of grip strength in patients with heart disease offers a quick, non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular health. As with grip strength, blood pressure can be monitored non-invasively, but research indicates that grip strength is a more reliable predictor of cardiovascular disease – making a compelling case for its integration into routine cardiovascular health assessments.
It reflects muscle strength, which is closely linked to cardiovascular function. In comparison to good grip strength, weak grip strength often signals reduced muscle strength and poor fitness, common in heart disease due to inflammation, reduced blood flow, and weakened heart function.
This document explains how grip strength can be used in clinical practice to assess risk, progression and prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Read on to find out – why is grip strength important, what does grip strength do and tell us for patients with complex conditions and how does grip strength indicate health risks such as cardiovascular disease?
“Grip strength is a key indicator of health; it’s a proxy for your overall strength and physical function.”
Peter Attia MD; Longevity Expert
Grip Strength and Prediction of Increased Cardiovascular Risk
In terms of grip strength by age, for adults aged between 35-70 each 7.7 Ibs* drop in grip strength is linked to a 16% higher risk of dying from any cause, a 17% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, a 9% higher risk of stroke, and a 7% higher risk of heart attack. [Leong et al., 2016]
Grip Strength and Prediction of Mortality and Heart Disease
Grip strength is proven to be a better predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality than systolic blood pressure. [Leong et al., 2016]
Including grip strength in a risk score (alongside age, sex, diabetes status, BMI, blood pressure, and smoking) improves the accuracy of predicting death and heart disease. [Celis-Morales et al., 2018]
*Note that all cut off points have been converted to GripAble-equivalent measurements for consistency
Clinical Application
Measure grip strength during routine check-ups to assess risk factors and track trends over time. For high-risk patients, consider providing a hand dynamometer for regular, at-home monitoring. Pay attention when grip strength drops below cut-off points or decreases by more than a quartile.
Patient Empowerment
Give patients access to their grip strength scores - a clear, tangible measure they can easily understand and actively improve with guidance. Unlike blood pressure, grip strength is relatable and empowering, enabling patients to track their progress as a key indicator of their independence.
Practical Considerations
Reduce Utilization: better prediction, risk stratification and monitoring
Improve Patient Satisfaction: give patients a quick, non-invasive tool to monitor their disease status and response to treatment at home
Support Risk Adjustment: quantify disease impact by using grip strength as an objective measure of muscle loss.
For further reading, dive into our extensive collection of studies on using a hand dynamometer, grip strength and more here including:
Contribute: Partner with us in research or patient case studies to advance the knowledge of grip strength as a biomarker.
Understand: Get the essentials on hand dynamometry and how to integrate grip strength into your practice with our comprehensive guide.
Get in touch:
Website: www.able-care.co Email: hello@able-care.co
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