Most adults over 50 know the numbers their doctor checks every year: blood pressure, cholesterol, weight.
Almost none of them know how hard they can squeeze.
That number matters more than it sounds. Doctors and researchers increasingly treat grip strength as a window into overall health, the Wall Street Journal reported this week. A University of Michigan physical medicine professor told the Journal that grip strength predicts cardiovascular disease better than blood pressure does. A weak grip has also been linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, and dementia. A Stanford longevity physician called it “like another vital sign.”…