RESEARKA

Aging societies face a fundamental question: which modifiable biomarkers reliably predict survival across the lifespan, and which merely correlate with downstream disease burden? Grip strength, a simple bedside measure of maximal voluntary force, has attracted enormous epidemiological attention as a candidate longevity signal. Across large cohorts, lower handgrip strength is associated with higher mortality risk, with hazard ratios frequently exceeding 1.3 per standard-deviation decrement, yet the field has struggled to determine whether this association reflects causal biology or residual confounding by comorbidity, physical inactivity, and frailty (Celis-Morales 2018). The clinical stakes are high: if grip strength represents a tractable anti-aging lever, it could inform exercise prescription, pharmacological targeting, and public-health screening. Conversely, if the signal is largely epiphenomenal, investing in grip strength longevity trials may divert resources from more promising gerotherapeutic strategies. The question of whether grip strength longevity extends lifespan or merely marks individuals at risk remains unresolved, and this ambiguity has persisted despite decades of observational work. This introduction frames the problem, reviews the biological rationale, surveys the evidence landscape, and identifies the gaps our synthesis aims to address.

Citation Support

• source_1 Jayanama 2022
• source_2 TurBoned 2026
• source_3 Karahan 2026
• source_4 Cui 2021
• source_5 Aksoy 2026