Grip strength may be a simple and inexpensive indicator of overall health and the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the results of the international PURE study, published in the medical journal *The Lancet*.
The study included 139,691 adults aged 35 to 70 from 17 countries. Participants were followed for an average of about four years, and grip strength was measured using a special device—a hand dynamometer.
According to the researchers’ findings, lower grip strength was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, heart attack, and stroke. Each 5-kg decrease in grip strength was associated with a 16% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality, a 17% increase in cardiovascular mortality, a 7% increase in the risk of heart attack, and a 9% increase in the risk of stroke.
The study authors also noted that grip strength proved to be a stronger predictor of overall and cardiovascular mortality than systolic blood pressure. However, this does not mean that blood pressure measurements are no longer important; rather, it suggests that muscle strength can serve as an additional, simple marker of risk.
Popular tests, such as asking, “Can you hang from a pull-up bar for one minute?” may partially reflect grip strength, forearm endurance, body weight, and overall physical fitness. However, it’s important to distinguish: the study in The Lancet assessed not the time spent hanging on a pull-up bar, but specifically handgrip strength using a dynamometer.
General guidelines for pull-up performance are often listed separately for men and women.
For men, the baseline levels are as follows:
up to age 30 — 60–90 seconds,
ages 30–40 — 45–60 seconds,
ages 40–50 — 30–45 seconds,
ages 50–60 and older — approximately 15–30 seconds.
For women, the guidelines are lower:
up to age 30—40–60 seconds,
ages 30–40—30–45 seconds,
ages 40–50—20–30 seconds,
ages 50–60 and older—15–20 seconds.
These figures are not medical standards and cannot be used for diagnosis. The result is influenced not only by grip strength but also by body weight, the condition of the shoulder joints, technique, training experience, and overall health.
It is not an individual hanging time record that has medical significance, but rather the overall trend: a weaker grip may be a marker of lower muscle mass, low physical activity, age-related changes, or comorbidities. This is why researchers consider grip strength to be a potentially useful screening indicator in clinical practice.
At the same time, doctors emphasize that a weak grip or a short time spent hanging on the bar is not a diagnosis in itself. It is merely a signal that attention should be paid to physical activity, cardiovascular risks, nutrition, sleep, weight, blood pressure, and overall health.
