A strong or weak hand grip carries more than just social cues. It may also help measure an individual’s risk for having a heart attack or stroke, or dying from cardiovascular disease. As part of the international Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study, researchers measured grip strength in nearly 140,000 adults in 17 countries and followed their health for an average of four years. A device called a dynamometer was used to assess grip strength. Each 11-pound decrease in grip strength over the course of the study was linked to a 16{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d} higher risk of dying from any cause, a 17{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d} higher risk of dying from heart disease, a 9{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d} higher risk of stroke, and a 7{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d} higher risk of heart attack. The connections between grip strength