The amount of strength that you have when clenching your hand around an object indicates your hand grip strength (HGS). It determines your ability to hold, pull and lift an object. Hand grip also comes into play in a number of actions like opening a jar, carrying a bag filled with stuff and holding on to a handrail.
But did you know that HGS is far more important than this? Research suggests that a lower HGS is an important biomarker of diabetes and hypertension. Also, since HGS reduces due to a decline in muscle mass, a decline in this strength can even be an indicator of osteoporosis.
Just focusing on obesity as a biomarker for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) may lead to missed opportunities for investigation of an undetected disease in individuals with healthy weight. Such individuals may have “normal weight obesity,” which is characterized by high body fat and lower lean muscle mass at a healthy body mass index (BMI).
Dr Vithal D Bagi, senior consultant and interventional cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore, says, “Every increase by one [unit] in handgrip strength reduces the 10-year CVD risk by 1.76 times.”
Elaborating on the link between handgrip strength and health, he says that a lower HGS indicates weak muscles, and a lower muscle mass is linked to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome includes abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, impaired fasting glucose and low HDL cholesterol levels, which even puts an individual at a greater risk of diabetes.
“Low HGS means that a person does not exercise much, and this makes [them] more prone to bone weaknesses, leading to conditions like osteoporosis,” says Dr Bagi. He adds that starting rigorous physical activity immediately is not advisable. An ECG and a treadmill test should be done to assess a person for any heart-related issue and stamina, respectively.
Hand grip strength and longevity
Dr Harish Puranik, senior consultant, orthopedics, Fortis Hospital, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore, highlights the link between HGS and a long life, saying that muscle mass is an indicator of longevity for humans.
This is especially true for the older age group, where muscle mass starts declining (because of age and poor lifestyle). This ultimately makes older people more prone to osteoporosis and conditions such as cardiovascular issues and diabetes, which reduce the lifespan.
“It is difficult to objectively measure muscle mass, which is why HGS becomes an indirect way to measure it,” Dr Puranik adds.
A lower HGS indicates weakness of the muscles and bones, but it may not always be a sign of osteoporosis, he says. Instead, it could point to a general weakness or even osteopenia, which is a mild decrease in bone density.
Ways to work on your hand grip strength
• Strength training: Dr Puranik says people need to put their muscles and bones to work through regular exercise. “Unfortunately, we consider walking as an [adequate] exercise, but along with walking, swimming and cycling are important for a healthy heart,” he adds. “We do not contribute enough to muscle and bone strengthening, and we can achieve that only through weight training.”
He says this is especially required for women above 45 and in the post-menopause phase as that is when the muscles and bones start becoming weaker at a much rapid rate. He suggests doing yoga and weight training to strengthen the muscles and bones.
Dr Puranik adds that even people with comorbidities need to exercise, but with precautions. For instance, people with diabetes should check their blood glucose levels before and after workouts. “Those people with diabetes who work out may even be required to shift to insulin injections rather than taking pills,” he says. “Those with heart-related comorbidities should avoid heavy weight training.”
• Quit tobacco use: Dr Puranik advises stopping the consumption of tobacco as it causes constriction of blood vessels, thereby leading to a reduction in muscle and bone mass.
• Increase protein intake: Dr Puranik says that in India, vegetarians especially need to increase their protein intake. “People are mostly aware about their vitamin D and calcium deficiencies but not [their] protein [deficiency],” he says. “[Protein] is very important for muscle and bone health — one gram [of protein] per kilogram of our weight is required daily for the body.” This is even more important for older adults who are not able to exercise because of weakness.
Dr Puranik emphasizes that HGS should be among the vital signs monitored during body checkups because it gives an indication if an individual should focus on improving this measure of their muscle strength. This would also make people realize that just because their blood pressure levels are normal and they go on regular morning walks, it does not mean that they are healthy too.
Takeaways
- HGS reduces due to a decline in muscle mass. A lower HGS is an indirect indicator of osteoporosis, diabetes and hypertension.
- A lower HGS indicates weak muscles, and a lower muscle mass is linked to metabolic syndrome.
- It should be among the vital signs monitored during a body checkup as it indicates if an individual should focus on working on their hand grip strength.
