Stronger grip was linked to lower odds of developing long-term health conditions
Adult cohort studies linked stronger grip and better chair-stand performance to lower odds of later illness, with limited confidence in the evidence.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Adults with better results on simple strength tests had lower odds of developing several long-term health conditions. These tests may serve as indicators of future health, but the review does not show that increasing strength prevents disease. Evidence quality ranged from very low to moderate, leaving uncertainty about how reliable these associations are.
This abstract-based summary cannot establish causation from cohort associations. The abstract does not report follow-up lengths or explain how consistently other influences on health were accounted for.
What researchers found
New cardiovascular disease
Highest versus lowest grip strength; follow-up duration unreported. The ratio compares odds of developing disease between groups, not absolute probabilities.
What the tests assessed
The review asked whether simple strength measurements predicted new long-term health conditions. Grip strength and chair-stand performance were assessed as indicators of later health, so the results do not directly test an exercise treatment.
Confidence in the pattern
Better chair-stand performance was also linked to lower odds of later illness. The evidence ratings ranged from very low to moderate, leaving uncertainty about how dependable these associations are across settings.
The original publication
Clinical importance of simple muscular fitness tests to predict long-term health conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 94 cohort studies.
Marín-Jiménez N, Bizzozero-Peroni B, Molina-Garcia P et al.
Br J Sports Med · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41667153
- Record checked
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