May 18, 2015, ST. LOUIS – The strength of a person’s hand grip or handshake may determine heart disease and stroke risk, according to a study published in the Lancet.
In looking at 140,000 people in 17 countries, researchers found for every five-kilogram reduction in grip strength (about 11 pounds) there was a 16 percent increased risk of death, a 17 percent increased risk of cardiovascular death, a 9 percent increase in stroke and a 7 percent increase in heart attack.
“It’s a marker of an underlying condition,” says Richard Lee, MD, co-director of the Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care (C4) at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital and a SLUCare physician.
For more, watch the above interview with Dr. Lee and FOX2’s Randi Naughton.
