New research suggests that decreased grip strength alone is not a reliable predictor of increased risk of prostate cancer in older men.
The relationship between handgrip strength weakness (HGS) and prostate cancer has long remained unclear in the scientific literature. When clinicians consider grip strength as an indicator, they often extrapolate from broader cancer research rather than relying on direct evidence.
In a study published in a journal maturethe authors present detailed data and analysis that challenges this assumption. ”Low HGS (handgrip strength) does not independently predict prostate cancer risk in older men in Europe” they wrote.Although HGS is a valuable marker of overall health, its role in assessing prostate cancer risk appears to be limited.”
This study utilized data from a large longitudinal cohort of 64,371 men aged 50 years and older at baseline. Participants were recruited in 2004 as part of wave 1 of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and were followed prospectively through multiple waves until 2022.
Prostate cancer was identified by physician self-reported diagnosis, and grip strength was measured using a Smedley dynamometer. ”We applied pooled logistic regression, fixed effects models, and propensity score matching (PSM) to adjust for age, body mass index (BMI), mental health, chronic diseases, and country-level effects.” they pointed out.
New insights into a deadly disease
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 1.5 million people worldwide are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the second most common cancer in men and the fourth most common cancer overall. According to the WHO’s Global Cancer Observatory, approximately 5 to 6 million people worldwide have prostate cancer.
The study is notable because it provides new insight into a potential pathway that clinicians have cautiously relied on for early detection of a disease that could be fatal if not detected in time.
”As the burden of prostate cancer increases, identifying modifiable risk factors and early indicators of vulnerability has become important for public health and clinical practice.” explain the researchers.Among new biomarkers of whole-body health, handgrip strength (HGS) has gained attention as a simple, non-invasive measure of muscle strength and overall physiological reserve.. ”
This large prospective cohort study is being led by researchers from the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with colleagues from Roskilde University in Denmark, the University of Helsinki in Finland, Shifa International Hospital in Pakistan, and King Saud University in Saudi Arabia.
Initial models showed that decreased grip strength was associated with a 1.13 percentage point increase in prostate cancer risk. Furthermore, the propensity score matching model suggested an 83% relative increase in risk (1.30 percentage points; OR = 1.949).
However, after adjusting for country-level matching, the researchers found that the effect of grip strength was “not statistically significant” in predicting prostate cancer among older men in Europe. These findings question previous assumptions and suggest that its role in diagnosis remains uncertain.
Assessing the evidence and prospects
The authors report that the key finding, the lack of a statistically significant association between reduced grip strength and prostate cancer risk, suggests that grip strength is unlikely to be a reliable tool for early detection or prediction of disease progression.
”Therefore, HGS, as a single measure, does not appear to capture the complexity of these biological interactions in a way that meaningfully predicts prostate cancer risk.‘ point out the researchers.
They acknowledge that these findings are surprising and may seem somewhat contradictory to the existing literature on the relationship between grip strength and cancer outcomes. However, they argue that much of the early literature was based on overall cancer risk, rather than specific cancers such as prostate cancer.
”Although some studies have reported an association between lower HGS and increased cancer mortality, the results often concern overall cancer risk, rather than site-specific cancers such as prostate cancer.” they explain.These discrepancies may be partially due to the cancer type, covariates, study population setting, small sample size, and HGS measurement protocol.”
To address these discrepancies, the authors recommend that future studies use standardized measurements and propensity score matching (PSM) in a large European cohort population specific to prostate cancer.
Association decreases after adjustment
The significance of this study is that it provides new insight into the relationship between reduced hand grip strength and prostate cancer risk. The authors report:Lower HGS initially appeared to be associated with higher risk of prostate cancer in the unadjusted model, but this association was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for covariates such as age, BMI, mental health, and chronic disease.”
Furthermore, even after applying PSM to reduce potential confounding, the observed association between low HGS and prostate cancer risk remained positive, but was no longer statistically significant, as the authors note.
Despite these findings, the researchers acknowledge several limitations that merit consideration in future research. In particular, they highlight the potential for residual confounding, noting that “despite adjusting for a wide range of covariates, unmeasured factors such as diet, physical activity, genetic predisposition, and health care utilization may still influence the observed associations.”
They also point out that excluding participants with hand arthritis may introduce selection bias and limit the generalizability of the findings to relatively healthy individuals.
Nevertheless, this study shows some notable strengths. Its large sample size and longitudinal design strengthen the statistical power and temporal validity of the results. Additionally, the use of multiple analytical approaches, including pooled logistic regression, fixed effects models, and PSM, provides a robust and comprehensive assessment of the relationship between HGS and prostate cancer risk.
In conclusion, the authors state that “low HGS is initially associated with increased risk of prostate cancer, but this relationship does not remain statistically significant after adjusting for relevant covariates and applying robust statistical controls.”
These findings suggest that although HGS is a valuable indicator of overall health status and frailty, it may not serve as an independent predictor of prostate cancer risk in older men.
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Reference magazines:
Kaiser, R. Others. (2026). Assessment of grip strength and prostate cancer risk using propensity score matching in 64,371 European men. mature. DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2026.108926. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378512226001039
