Elderly people with weak hand grip and slow walking speed are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, a study showed. According to a report published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on the 9th, a research team led by Dr. Francesco Sera of University College London analyzed data on 493,621 British adults aged 40 to 69. The research team measured the participants' hand grip strength and walking speed, and then tracked their health for an average of 7 years. As a result, it was found that people with weak hand grip strength had a 1.2 to 1.4 times higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 1.1 to 1.3 times higher risk of death from all causes compared to those with strong hand grip strength. The risk was higher in people with slow walking speed. Compared to those who walked at a normal speed, those with slow walking speed had a 1.1 to 1.6 times higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 1.2 to 1.6 times higher risk of death from all causes. The research team said, "The results suggest that hand grip strength and walking speed can be used as indicators of overall health in middle-aged and older adults." They added, "These indicators can help identify individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease and death, and can be used to prevent or treat related diseases." Meanwhile, the study was supported by the UK's National Health Service and the British Heart Foundation.
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