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.

Aged individuals with diminished strength and reduced walking ability have been found to face a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases and mortality compared to their peers. The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute of Health Research reported this in a study conducted on seniors aged 65 and above.

The research team analyzed data from 2,997 seniors in the National Cardiovascular High-Risk Cohort, as well as data from the National Health Insurance System and the Statistics Agency, to examine the relationship between frailty and cardiovascular disease occurrence and mortality.

Frailty is a condition characterized by a gradual decline in muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical function due to aging. The researchers classified individuals as either frail or not based on whether they had a decline in strength or overall physical performance, or both. The analysis revealed that seniors with functional frailty had a 1.92 times higher risk of cardiovascular disease occurrence and a 1.45 times higher overall mortality risk compared to those without frailty.

When tracking 1,990 participants over a period of 4 years, the researchers found that a newly developed frailty state increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by 1.56 times and mortality risk by 1.67 times compared to those who remained in a non-frail state.

The team noted that men were considered to have low muscle mass if their strength was below 28 kg, while women were considered to have low muscle mass if their strength was below 18 kg. Body performance was evaluated by measuring the time it took for an individual to stand up from a seated position, walk 3 meters, and return to a seated position, with a time of 12 seconds or more considered low.

The researchers concluded that assessing not only muscle loss but also actual muscle function, including strength and body performance, could be a crucial indicator for estimating the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the elderly. They emphasized the importance of regular exercise and monitoring muscle strength and mobility changes in maintaining a healthy lifestyle in older adults.