Firm handshakes can predict life span
The strength of a handshake, often considered as a sign of confidence, is among simple physical capability tests which can predict the survival rate in the elderly.
According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, the elderly with the highest grip strength along with those capable of getting up from a chair or balancing on one leg are at a lower risk of dying younger.
Slowest walkers are also believed to be three times more likely to die sooner. Those slowest to rise from a chair, similarly, had a doubled mortality rate.
Scientists hope their findings would pave the way for the development of simple tests which might help physicians detect "at-risk" patients and subsequently protect them.
"Simple non-invasive assessment measures like these, that are linked to current and future health, could help doctors identify those most vulnerable to poor health in later life and who may benefit from early intervention to keep them active for longer," said Rachel Cooper from the Medical Research Council.
"At the moment we’re talking mainly about the frail elderly, but with time this could be relevant to younger people in terms of preventative medicine," said lead researcher Avan Aihie Sayer.
Source: presstv.ir
