The 2-second at-home test that can reveal your risk of 8 nasty conditions – including killer stroke and Alzheimer's
A TEST you can do at home in matter of seconds - with a bag of sugar, an air fryer or even a pet - could reveal your risk eight diseases.
Do you have difficulty picking up an object weighing 5 kilograms after a certain age?
1
If so, you run the risk of developing conditions such as chronic lung disease, arthritis, stroke and Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers from the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
As we get older, our muscles naturally weaken.
Muscle and hand grip strength have long been used as indicators of disease risk and can serve as a warning of declining health.
But the current tools used by doctors can be expensive, meaning only clinics can afford them.
Researchers set out find a simpler and more accessible method of assessing muscle strength without the use of specialised tools - finding that objects lying around at home can also be reliable indicators.
Professor Rizwan Qaisar, the study's first author, said: "Imagine you're at home, and you pick up a bag of groceries, maybe something that weighs about 5 kg - like a big bag of sugar or a small kitchen appliance.
"If you find yourself struggling with that, it might seem like a small thing, but our research shows it could be a really important clue about your health."
Scientists conducted their investigation using data from 51,536 adults from 15 countries who were aged 50 and older.
"We tracked them over time to see if their ability to lift 5 kg was connected to developing various health conditions in the future. What we found was quite significant," Prof Qaisar said.
"People who reported difficulty lifting 5 kg had a significantly higher risk of experiencing a lower quality of life, higher rates of depression, chronic lung diseases, hip fractures, joint disorders, high cholesterol, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and osteoarthritis.
10 second one leg stand test
"Interestingly, this connection held regardless of their age or gender.
"Our findings strongly suggest that this simple, everyday test could be a valuable early indicator of overall health and potential future health challenges."
Researchers conducted their study over a five year period.
Participants were asked to report if they had any difficulty doing various everyday activities at the outset of the study, as well their age, gender and country of residence.
Those who had one of the diseases in question at the start of the study were excluded from analysis.
One of the activities was 'lifting or carrying weights over 5 kilos', which became the central point of the researchers' analysis.
"The 5kg threshold was selected due to its relevance to everyday household objects, such as a standard bag of sugar or all-purpose flour, an average house cat, an air fryer, a portable slow cooker, and the cast iron Dutch oven," they wrote.
"Thus, the study provides a practical and accessible measure of muscle strength and overall health within the domestic environment."
Ways to improve your strength
A strength exercise is any activity that makes your muscles work harder than usual.
This increases your muscles' strength, size, power and endurance.
The activities involve using your body weight or working against a resistance.
You should try to do two sessions or more of muscle strengthening exercises a week.
Examples of muscle-strengthening activities include:
Lifting weights
Working with resistance bands
Heavy gardening, such as digging and shovelling
Climbing stairs
Hill walking
Cycling
Dance
Push-ups, sit-ups and squats
Yoga
Source: NHS
Study participants were also asked to fill out a quality of life questionnaire - which included such as 'how often do you think your age prevents you from doing the things you would like to do?' - and had symptoms of depression assessed too.
From the 51,536 respondents, 10,025 (19.5 per cent) had difficulty lifting 5kg at the start of the study.
Over the follow-up period, researchers found that people who had difficulty picking up 5kg objects had a higher risk of reporting a low quality of life (9 per cent), depression (8 per cent) and osteoarthritis (7 per cent).
They also had a mild to moderate risks of having "rheumatoid arthritis, heart attack, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, or hip fracture", according to researchers.
Study authors found that women had a higher risk of various diseases than men.
They said muscle weakness could be indicative of several things.
"First, muscle weakness in these participants suggests a sedentary lifestyle and low physical activity, which are risk factors for several diseases reported here.
"For example, a sedentary lifestyle is associated with higher risks of depression, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and neurological deficits.
"Participants with difficulty lifting 5kg will likely exhibit muscle wasting," they went on.
"Muscle mass is a significant protein reserve that protects against organ degeneration due to trauma, diseases, and/or ageing. Thus, a low muscle mass in the participants with difficulty lifting 5kg of weight can predispose them to develop chronic diseases."
Finally, muscle weakness could be connected to inflammation.
"It is also established that chronic low-grade inflammation can cause and/or exacerbate various cardiovascular, neurological, and metabolic disorders reported in this study," researchers stated.
Study co-author Dr Fabio Franzese from SHARE Berlin Institute in Germany, said: "Muscle weakness isn't just a sign of ageing; it's a profound warning for future disease."
That's why the "simple act" of trying pick up 5kg with "no fancy equipment" can be "a powerful health predictor".
"Our findings put early health assessment in everyone's hands," he said.
"The test empowers people to seek early medical advice, motivates healthier lifestyle choices, and offers health care providers a valuable preliminary screening tool to identify at-risk individuals, ultimately improving preventive care and public health outreach for older populations."
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