Overview

• The peer-reviewed study from Pennington Biomedical, published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, followed 93,275 UK Biobank adults with excess body fat for a mean 13.4 years.
• Participants with greater handgrip strength were less likely to progress to obesity-induced dysfunction of the heart, liver or kidneys and had lower all-cause mortality.
• The protective association held up across alternative muscle measures, including muscle-to-weight and lean-to-weight ratios.
• Researchers note grip strength is simple to measure and propose it as a practical, low-cost early risk marker for people with elevated adiposity.
• Media reports described home grip tests and threshold times, which were not part of the published analysis and should be regarded as unofficial guidance.