A recent study in the UK examined the relationship between grip strength and risk of PD. The study also focused in on people with genetic risk factors for PD. Let's see what they found.
The study included a total of 411,648 individuals without PD between the age of 37–73 years old. They completed touchscreen questionnaires, underwent physical examinations, and provided biological information across England, Scotland, and Wales between 2006 and 2010. The study participants were then followed up about 10 years later and 2409 individuals were found to develop PD.
The researchers found that those who had low grip strength had 58.5% increased risk of PD compared to high grip strength. There is a strong association between grip strength and all cause mortality, meaning the lower your grip strength is, the higher risk you have of all cause mortality. So, no surprise here that there is an association between PD and grip strength. The important thing here to note is that there is not a causation but a correlation. This means that poor grip strength does not cause PD or mortality.
The study also showed that low socioeconomic status and poor physical or psychological health partially explained the link between grip strength and PD risk. "The high grip strength group also skewed toward having healthier lifestyle habits, such as being nonsmokers, getting better sleep, and being more physically active. The low grip strength group, meanwhile, was associated with worse physical health, including cardiovascular problems, and mental health issues such as loneliness and depression."
People who engage in regular exercise that includes weight training are generally healthier than people who do not regularly exercise. As you age, your body naturally loses muscle. It is an unfortunate part of aging. This can be reversed with regular strength training! Most people tend to focus on cardiovascular exercise by walking, riding a bike, running, etc. in order to stay healthy. The cardiovascular system is only one of our major body systems, with another major one being our musculoskeletal system. Our musculoskeletal system includes our muscles and bones. Walking, riding a bike, running, swimming, or other forms of cardio do not challenge our musculoskeletal system is the way it needs to in order to improve strength. Both need to be challenged throughout our lifespan to stay healthy and reduce our risk of disease.
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