Genetic predisposition to muscle strength associated with lower cardiovascular mortality

A study conducted by the Department of Sports and Health Sciences at the Jyväskylä University in Finland showed that men with genetic predispositions supporting higher muscle strength had a lower risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases, regardless of their level of physical activity during free time or other factors related to lifestyle.

The low muscle strength, especially the grip force, was associated with an increased risk of premature mortality. While physical activity can help slow down muscle strength, higher muscle strength can also promote greater readiness to remain active. In addition to lifestyle factors, genetic factors play a role in muscle strength. In the study at the University of Jyväskylä, it was examined whether the genetic predisposition to higher muscle strength is associated with lower mortality due to all causes and cardiovascular in aging and whether physical activity in free time affects these connections.

Inherited muscle strength associated with a lower risk of mortality in men, regardless of activity

The results suggest that the genetic predisposition to higher muscle strength slightly reduced the risk of cardiovascular mortality in men. This compound remained significant even after adapting to other lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass indicator. Unlike the initial assumptions, the relationship between the inherited muscle force and the risk of death was not dependent on the amount of physical activity.

The relationship between a larger inherited physical strength and lower risk of death remained regardless of whether a person was more or less physically active in his free time. “

Päiv Herraranen, doctoral the Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences

In addition, the study showed that the genetic predisposition to higher muscle strength did not lead to an increase in the physical activity of the person.

“People who have inherited more muscle strength through their genes do not move automatically more than others,” says Herranen.

In women, inherited predispositions for higher muscle strength were not associated with mortality, probably due to biological and environmental differences between sexes that affect cardiovascular health.

“Hypothetically genetic and physiological factors that increase muscle strength in women, can also increase their susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases, whose dissemination usually increases with age,” notes Herranen. “However, further research is necessary using larger data sets to examine this potential link.”

Genetically defined muscle strength and lifestyle predict health threats

The study uses a polygenic result, which combined the action of hundreds of thousands of genetic variants associated with the strength of the handle. The polygenic result enables comparisons between people with extremely high or low genetic predispositions to muscle strength, providing insight into its relationship with various health threats.

Although the polygenic result of the muscle strength itself has limited predictive power, it is comparable to the predictive power of several lifestyle factors. Further research is necessary to examine the potential of the integration of the result with personalized risk assessments.

“In addition, a polygenical result for muscle strength can help determine whether a genetic predisposition of a person affects his response to exercises and their potential for improvement through training,” adds Herraranen.

The study included genetic data and lifestyle of almost 9,000 participants from the older Finnish twin cohort. Information on the education of participants, weight index, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity was collected using questionnaires at three measuring points.

The study was awarded the second prize in the best research article in sports medicine professions on sports medicine in Helsinki in 2024. This is the third publication of the doctoral dissertation of Päivi Herranena, which examines how genetics and environmental factors affect biological aging, in particular the weakening of muscle strength and functional ability with age. The study is part of the Genactical Project financed by the Council of Research Finland and the Juho Vainio Foundation as well as the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation Foundation. The project is conducted by the assistant professor and colleague from Academy Research Elina Syllanpää. The research was conducted in cooperation with the Gerontology Research Center (Gerec) and Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM).