If you have a weak handshake, you could die younger: study

February 10, 2023

Here’s one more reason to lead with a strong handshake.

Having a weak grip could be a harbinger of early death, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan.

The study links grip strength to a higher risk of age-related chronic diseases, including cancer.

A limp grasp, researchers said, may be a sign of overall muscle weakness — a known factor of many degenerative diseases.

“Given these links, grip strength has been labeled a ‘biomarker of aging’; and yet, the pathways connecting grip strength to negative health consequences are unclear,” authors wrote in their new report, published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.

Researchers selected followed 1,275 men and women over the course of 8 to 10 years, who were aged around 70 years old during that period.

The study, performed by researchers at The University of Michigan, has connected having a weak grip to a higher risk for other serious diseases like cancer.

They then used something called a Smedley spring dynamometer — a device that measures grip strength — to test the participants every two years. After squeezing it twice with each hand, their highest result was recorded for the study.

Additionally, the researchers also took the participant’s blood sample, in order to study DNA methylation levels in each participant. Having an increase in your DNA methylation or having too much of it can affect your risk of developing illnesses like cancer and other cardiovascular diseases. DNA methylation is closely associated with aging and age-related illness, according to the experts.

"There is a large body of evidence linking muscular weakness, as determined by low grip strength, to a host of negative aging-related health outcomes," the researchers wrote in the study. — “There is a large body of evidence linking muscular weakness, as determined by low grip strength, to a host of negative aging-related health outcomes,” the researchers wrote in the study.

DNA methylation can be defined as a kind of chemical reaction in your body where a “small molecule” called a methyl group can enter your DNA, according to the National Cancer Institute. Some methylation is a normal and necessary part of development and DNA maintenance, but mutations can also occur during the process.

Researchers at the University of Michigan found that there was a correlation between normalized grip strength and DNAm age acceleration in both men and women, meaning that people with a lower grip strength had more DNA methylation.

“Future research is needed to understand the extent to which [DNA methylation] age mediates the association between grip strength and chronic disease, disability and early mortality,” they wrote.

However, the study did suggest reveal that there could be a way to combat this phenomenon–and that’s by making sure you have strong muscles, which is achievable through exercise.

“Preservation of muscle strength may positively influence healthy aging by protecting against DNAm age acceleration,” the study read.