Long Life For Good Grip
By Mark Steer
One of the great imponderables of science has sensationally been breached by a very unlikely source. The results of a 40 year study are now set to rock the foundations of the science world with researchers in Hawaii claiming to have solved the key to longevity.
A hushed silence greeted Dr Bradley Willcox at the New York press conference as the ramifications of his team's findings started to sink in. Dr Willcox announced to the world's press that his research strongly suggested that longevity was heavily linked to an avoidance of smoking, being overweight, excessive drinking and hypertension.
Initial reports suggest that this is the greatest finding in modern day medical research; some individuals are already suggesting that it even eclipses the discovery of tennis elbow and the development of the corn plaster. Monumental is one word for it; totally mental are two more.
As a journalist I can't remember covering a story quite this big since my days on the Northamptonshire Gazette when there was the cash for questions scandal at the local pub quiz.
In addition to identifying health risks, the Honolulu study has uncovered an exciting new indicator of physical fitness, directly correlated to longevity - high grip strength. The ability to unscrew even the most stubborn jam jar is apparently an important, yet little known, determinant of survival. Often overlooked behind blood pressure and heart rate, a firm grip is pivotal to health in the latter stages of life and serves as an excellent indicator of youthfulness and stamina.
But where do men go from here and what of the chances that women may be affected by the exact same vices? At the moment we simply can't tell. Yet again science seems to throw up even more questions but can society afford to wait another 40 years to learn the answers or will it simply be too late?
Initial reports suggest that this is the greatest finding in modern day medical research; some individuals are already suggesting that it even eclipses the discovery of tennis elbow and the development of the corn plaster. Monumental is one word for it; totally mental are two more.
As a journalist I can't remember covering a story quite this big since my days on the Northamptonshire Gazette when there was the cash for questions scandal at the local pub quiz.In addition to identifying health risks, the Honolulu study has uncovered an exciting new indicator of physical fitness, directly correlated to longevity - high grip strength. The ability to unscrew even the most stubborn jam jar is apparently an important, yet little known, determinant of survival. Often overlooked behind blood pressure and heart rate, a firm grip is pivotal to health in the latter stages of life and serves as an excellent indicator of youthfulness and stamina.
But where do men go from here and what of the chances that women may be affected by the exact same vices? At the moment we simply can't tell. Yet again science seems to throw up even more questions but can society afford to wait another 40 years to learn the answers or will it simply be too late?
Willcox, B.J., et al. (2006). Midlife risk factors and healthy survival in men. Journal of the American Medical Association 296, 2343-2350.
Image: Bill Davenport
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