Grant: Catalyst Grant: Analysis of CLSA Data

Evidence suggests that a strong or weak hand grip may help measure an individual's risk for developing a cardiovascular disease, regardless of their age or the country they live in. Grip strength can be measured easily in a physician office and may help identify individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease and indicate who may need an intervention. One hypothesis explaining the link between grip strength and cardiovascular disease is that grip strength is a measure of how well one's body is functioning, also known as frailty. However, our understanding of the mechanisms explaining why grip strength may predict the occurrence of cardiovascular disease is currently limited. We will use data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, which collected data on more than 50 thousand Canadian aged 45 years and higher, to better understand the associations between grip strength and the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. We will also assess whether alternative measures of frailty are more associated with cardiovascular risk than grip strength.