Mixed
Higher muscle strength (specifically grip and knee extension) in young adulthood is independently associated with a lower incidence of coronary heart disease and stroke later in life, even after adjusting for body mass index, blood pressure, and socioeconomic status.
Prioritize building functional muscle strength, particularly grip and leg strength, as a long-term strategy for heart health. This benefit is independent of your body weight. Incorporate resistance training into your routine to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke later in life.
After adjustment for height, BMI, SBP, DBP and social position, all strength indicators were inversely associated with disease risk. For CHD and intracerebral infarction, grip strength showed the strongest association (HR = 0.89 and 0.91, respectively) whereas for intracerebral and subarachoid haemorrhage, knee extension strength was the best predictor (HR = 0.88 and 0.92, respectively).
Why this rating
Population-based cohort study of over 1 million men with long-term follow-up (median 24.4 years) and rigorous adjustment for confounders.
Source
Association of body size and muscle strength with incidence of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases: a population-based cohort study of one million Swedish men
Karri Silventoinen et al. · International Journal of Epidemiology · 2008
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