Strength of grip indicates life span

There are nine important factors that provide a clue to why some people live longer than others - low blood pressure, low blood sugar levels, low levels of bad

How strong your grip is could be one of the indications to a long life, say scientists.

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There are nine important factors that provide a clue to why some people live longer than others - low blood pressure, low blood sugar levels, low levels of bad cholesterol, not drinking excessive alcohol, keeping down the weight, not smoking, having a strong grip, a high level of education and being married.

A 40-year study conducted by researcher Bradley J Willcox and colleagues of the Pacific Health Research Institute and Kuakini Medical Centre in Honolulu came to the conclusion that the nine factors were the keys to a healthy long life.

Grip strength, which can be measured by a test, is a strong indication of upper body strength, the researchers said in a study published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

This is consistent with theories of aging that suggest that better-built organisms last longer and that physiological reserve is an important determinant of survival, and may also be a marker of physical fitness.

The researchers had studied 5,820 Japanese-American middle-aged men with an average age of 54 in Honolulu, Hawaii, reported health portal News Medical.

It examined potential biological, lifestyle and socio-demographic risk factors present at middle age to identify risk factors for healthy survival.