Strong grip strength lowers risk of organ dysfunction in obesity

People with obesity who also have high muscle mass may be less likely to have obesity-related organ damage. This observation was described in the study "Handgrip Strength and Trajectories of Preclinical Obesity Progression: A Multistate Model Analysis Using the UK Biobank," which was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Dr. Yun Shen and Dr. Gang Hu of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, along with international colleagues, recently explored the association between grip strength and preclinical obesity progression.

Researchers evaluated data from more than 93,000 participants from the UK Biobank to analyze the association between grip strength and the progression of obesity-induced organ dysfunctions or death. The research found that participants with a stronger handgrip, which is a simple test of muscle strength, were less likely to progress to obesity, obesity-induced organ issues, or death. 

"Our findings show that muscle strength is a powerful, early sign of who is most at risk of developing obesity-induced organ dysfunctions among people with excess body fat," said Dr. Shen, assistant professor at Pennington Biomedical's Chronic Disease Epidemiology Lab. "Because grip strength is easy to measure and strength can be improved with weight training, this research points to a practical, low-cost way to identify at‑risk individuals and to act early. This link was consistent in multiple checks using other muscle metrics, including the muscle-to-weight and lean-to-weight ratios."

The researchers evaluated data from people in the "preclinical obesity" stage, which is when body fat and size measures higher than average, but obesity has not resulted in further illnesses or comorbidities. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, which uses a person's height and weight to classify weight status and assess their potential health risks. It is not, however, a direct measure of body fat. Excess body fat refers to an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that impairs health by increasing the risk of metabolic, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal diseases, and certain cancers. More direct assessments of body fat percentage are often used alongside BMI to accurately characterize excess adiposity. 

"Our analyses demonstrate that muscle strength serves as a key physiological indicator linking body composition to metabolic health outcomes," said Dr. Hu, director of Pennington Biomedical's Chronic Disease Epidemiology Lab. "These results emphasize that maintaining muscle strength may play a protective role against the adverse effects of excess adiposity on major organs. Using grip strength as an indicator may facilitate timely interventions aimed at mitigating long-term metabolic and cardiovascular complications." 

The grip strength test has been increasingly recognized as a predictor of chronic disease risk and mortality, as it can provide better insights as to what proportion of body weight is lean muscle versus adipose tissue. The data from the UK Biobank include an initial recording of data and a 13-year follow-up. The data indicated that people with stronger handgrip strength, associated with an increased proportion of muscle mass, were less likely to move from the early stages of obesity-related health issues to more serious ones.

This study exemplifies our commitment to understanding obesity as the complex, chronic disease it truly is. By discovering how muscle strength protects against metabolic harm, we're giving clinicians and individuals a simple, accessible tool to identify risk early and take action before chronic disease develops. At Pennington Biomedical, our mission is to move science from cells to society, transforming research into real-world solutions that help people live healthier lives."

Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical

When comparing the data, those participants with the strongest grips had the best protection against health decline and death and were 23 percent less likely to die from any cause than those with the weakest grip strength.