Study links two strength tests to lower mortality in older women

A study published in JAMA Network Open on February 13 found that two basic strength measures — grip strength and chair-stand speed — were associated with lower mortality in older women. The analysis followed 5,472 ambulatory women ages 63 to 99 for an average of about eight years. Researchers said the association held even after accounting for physical activity, sedentary time, walking speed and inflammation. The work was led by Michael J. LaMonte of the University at Buffalo. ### Which two tests did researchers use? The study used dominant-hand grip strength and the time needed to complete five unassisted chair stands. Grip strength is typically measured with a hand dynamometer, while the chair-stand test captures lower-body strength and function by timing how quickly someone can rise from a chair five times without help. Researchers described both as common clinical measures in older adults. (jamanetwork.com) JAMA’s summary of the paper said women with better results on those two measures had lower all-cause mortality during follow-up. The cohort included women between ages 63 and 99, and the findings were reported after adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as well as movement-related measures. ### How large was the study, and what did it find? The cohort study included 5,472 women, and 1,964 died during follow-up, according to secondary coverage summarizing the paper. (jamanetwork.com) Women in higher grip-strength categories and faster chair-stand categories had lower mortality risk than women in the weakest or slowest groups. (jamanetwork.com) University at Buffalo said each 7-kilogram increase in grip strength was associated, on average, with a 12% lower mortality rate. The same release said moving from slower to faster chair-stand times in 6-second increments was associated with a 4% lower mortality rate. Those figures describe statistical associations in the cohort, not proof that the tests themselves change outcomes. (jamanetwork.com) ### Did the link remain after accounting for exercise and fitness? The researchers reported that the association remained after controlling for accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior, timed walking speed and C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. JAMA’s summary also said the lower-mortality link was seen even among women who did not meet guideline-recommended activity levels. (buffalo.edu) Michael LaMonte said in the University at Buffalo release that muscle strength likely matters alongside aerobic activity in healthy aging. He added that if someone does not have enough muscle strength to get up, it becomes harder to do aerobic activities such as walking. ### What should readers not overread from this? The paper was an observational cohort study, which means it found an association rather than proving cause and effect. (jamanetwork.com) The results show that stronger women in this group tended to have lower mortality risk over time, but they do not establish that improving a test score alone will directly reduce the risk of death. (buffalo.edu) The study also focused on older women, so the findings do not automatically apply in the same way to men or younger populations. The participants were ambulatory women, meaning they were able to walk, which also defines the group the results describe. ### How does this fit with exercise guidance? Federal physical activity guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, along with muscle-strengthening activity at least two days a week. (jamanetwork.com) The study does not replace those recommendations, but its authors said strength appears to be an important marker of health in later life. The paper is titled “Muscular Strength and Mortality in Women Aged 63 to 99 Years,” and it was published in JAMA Network Open on February 13, 2026. Michael J. LaMonte and colleagues reported the findings from the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health study, with follow-up running through February 19, 2023. (jamanetwork.com) (buffalo.edu)