Frontiers in Aging
Grip strength as a systems biomarker of aging: neuromuscular junction constraints and biomarker decoupling in gene therapy
Grip strength has emerged as one of the most robust predictors of mortality, disability and healthspan across populations. Yet its predictive validity rests on an often-unstated assumption: that grip strength serves as a passive readout of systemic biological integrity rather than an isolated measure of forearm function. Here we propose that grip strength derives its prognostic power from its position as a convergent output of multiple aging-sensitive physiological systems—including neuromuscular, vascular, metabol …