Here’s another justification for leading with a firm handshake. An early death could be predicted by having a weak grasp, according to a recent study by the University of Michigan researchers.
The study linked grip strength to an increased risk of cancer and other age-related chronic disorders.
Researchers suggested that a limp grasp could be an indication of generalized muscle weakness, which is a known risk factor for many degenerative diseases.
Given these connections, grip strength has been called a “biomarker of aging,” but the exact mechanisms by which grip strength leads to detrimental health effects are still unknown, according to a recent study that was published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle.
1,275 men and women who were between the ages of 70 and 80 were followed by the researchers for eight to ten years.
The subjects were then tested every two years using a Smedley spring dynamometer, a machine that gauges grip strength. Their best performance was noted for the study after squeezing it twice with each hand.
In order to examine each person’s DNA methylation levels, the researchers also collected a sample of blood from each individual. Your chance of contracting diseases like cancer and other cardiovascular problems may rise or decrease depending on how much DNA methylation you have. According to scientists, DNA methylation is strongly linked to aging and age-related diseases.
According to the National Cancer Institute, DNA methylation is a type of chemical reaction that occurs in your body and allows a “small molecule” called a methyl group to enter your DNA. While some methylation is a typical and essential component of growth and DNA maintenance, mutations can also take place in the course of the process.
In both men and women, normalized grip strength and DNAm age acceleration were found to be correlated by the University of Michigan researchers, indicating that individuals with lower grip strengths had higher levels of DNA methylation.
Future studies are required to determine the extent to which [DNA methylation] age mediates the link between grip strength and early death, chronic disease, and disability, the authors said.
According to the National Cancer Institute, DNA methylation is a type of chemical reaction that occurs in your body and allows a “small molecule” called a methyl group to enter your DNA. While some methylation is a typical and essential component of growth and DNA maintenance, mutations can also take place in the course of the process.
In both men and women, normalized grip strength and DNAm age acceleration were found to be correlated by the University of Michigan researchers, indicating that individuals with lower grip strengths had higher levels of DNA methylation.
Future studies are required to determine the extent to which [DNA methylation] age mediates the link between grip strength and early death, chronic disease, and disability, the authors said.
