Handgrip Strength Inversely Linked to Age-Related Macular Degeneration

TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Handgrip strength is inversely linked to the incidence of age-related macular degeneration, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.

Shuoyang Wang, from Shanghai General Hospital, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study of U.K. Biobank participants to assess whether handgrip strength is associated with the incidence of age-related macular degeneration. The analyses included individuals aged 50 to 69 years without age-related macular degeneration at baseline; 382,174 eligible participants were included.

The researchers found that 7,987 individuals (2.09 percent) developed age-related macular degeneration after 4,680,431 person-years. The risk for age-related macular degeneration incidence was higher among individuals in the lowest versus the highest quintile of handgrip strength (hazard ratio, 1.25). The incidence of age-related macular degeneration was increased in association with each 5-kg decrement in handgrip strength (hazard ratio, 1.06); similar trends were seen in all subgroups except sex. The incidence of age-related macular degeneration was partially mediated by specific inflammatory and erythrocyte-related biomarkers (37.5 percent) as substantial biological mechanisms following handgrip strength decreased.

“Once strongly verified, handgrip strength measurement may be hopefully applied to assist the risk evaluation of senile neurodegenerative visual deficit in community settings and developing regions, where biochemical tests are not accessible,” the authors write.

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