GeroScience · Nov 3, 2026
Sex-specific associations between handgrip strength and all-cause mortality in older Mexican adults
By Pérez-Sousa MÁ, Borda MG, Ramírez-Vélez R et al.
Handgrip strength (HGS) declines with age and is associated with morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate sex-specific associations between absolute and allometric HGS and all-cause mortality in Mexican adults aged 50 years and older. We analyzed data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study, including 1917 adults aged ≥ 50 years with HGS assessed at wave 3. Absolute HGS (kg) and allometric HGS (HGS/height²) were examined using sex-specific quartiles and standardized z-scores. Participants were followed through 2021. Sex-stratified Cox proportional hazards models and interaction analyses were performed, and survey-weighted mortality rates were calculated per 1000 person-years. During follow-up, 371 deaths occurred. Associations between lower HGS and higher mortality were stronger in men. For absolute HGS, men in the lowest quartile had higher mortality than those in the highest quartile (HR 5.56, 95% CI 2.70–11.44), and each 1-SD increase was associated with a lower hazard of death (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.44–0.65). Women in the lowest absolute HGS quartile also had higher mortality (HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.07–3.55). A significant sex interaction was observed for allometric HGS (p = 0.011). Kaplan–Meier curves showed survival differences between the lowest and highest quartiles for both measures. Absolute and allometric HGS were associated with all-cause mortality, with stronger associations observed in men. Their comparative predictive performance remains to be established.