Research References: The Forgotten Foundation Series

Supporting research for "The Hidden Key to Fall Prevention" and "Your Grip on Longevity"

Toe Strength and Fall Prevention Research

Primary Studies on Toe Strength and Falls

Spink, M. J., Fotoohabadi, M. R., Wee, E., Hill, K. D., Lord, S. R., & Menz, H. B. (2011). Foot and ankle strength, range of motion, posture, and deformity are associated with balance and functional ability in older adults. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 92(1), 68-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2010.09.024

Uritani, D., Fukumoto, T., Myodo, T., Fujikawa, K., Usui, M., & Tatara, D. (2014). The association between toe grip strength and osteopenia in postmenopausal women. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 33, 28.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28738667/

Mickle, K. J., Munro, B. J., Lord, S. R., Menz, H. B., & Steele, J. R. (2009). ISB Clinical Biomechanics Award 2009: toe weakness and deformity increase the risk of falls in older people. Clinical Biomechanics, 24(10), 787-791.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2009.08.011

Supporting Research on Foot Function and Balance

Menz, H. B., Morris, M. E., & Lord, S. R. (2006). Foot and ankle risk factors for falls in older people: a prospective study. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 61(8), 866-870.

Goldmann, J. P., Potthast, W., & Brüggemann, G. P. (2013). Athletic training with minimal footwear strengthens toe flexor muscles. Footwear Science, 5(1), 19-25.

Hand Strength and Longevity Research

Meta-Analyses and Large-Scale Studies

Wu, Y., Wang, W., Liu, T., & Zhang, D. (2017). Association of grip strength with risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer in community-dwelling populations: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 18(6), 551.e17-551.e35.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2017.03.011

Celis-Morales, C. A., Welsh, P., Lyall, D. M., Steell, L., Petermann, F., Anderson, J., ... & Gill, J. M. (2018). Associations of grip strength with cardiovascular, respiratory, and cancer outcomes and all cause mortality: prospective cohort study of half a million UK Biobank participants. BMJ, 361, k1651. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k1651

DNA Aging and Cellular Health

Peterson, M. D., Duchowny, K., Meng, Q., Wang, Y., Chen, X., & Zhao, Y. (2023). Grip strength is inversely associated with DNA methylation age acceleration. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 14(1), 108-115.https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13110

Stessman, J., Rottenberg, Y., Shimshilashvili, I., Ein-Mor, E., & Jacobs, J. M. (2017). Handgrip strength in old and very old adults: mood, cognition, function, and mortality. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 65(3), 526-532.

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health

Leong, D. P., Teo, K. K., Rangarajan, S., Lopez-Jaramillo, P., Avezum Jr, A., Orlandini, A., ... & Yusuf, S. (2015). Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. The Lancet, 386(9990), 266-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62000-6

García-Hermoso, A., Cavero-Redondo, I., Ramírez-Vélez, R., Ruiz, J. R., Ortega, F. B., Lee, D. C., & Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. (2018). Muscular strength as a predictor of all-cause mortality in an apparently healthy population: a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from approximately 2 million men and women. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 99(10), 2100-2113.

Grip Strength as a Biomarker

Bohannon, R. W. (2019). Grip strength: an indispensable biomarker for older adults. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 14, 1681-1691. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S194543

Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Bahat, G., Bauer, J., Boirie, Y., Bruyère, O., Cederholm, T., ... & Zamboni, M. (2019). Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing, 48(1), 16-31.

Additional Resources

Professional Organizations and Guidelines

American College of Sports Medicine - Position Stand on Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adultshttps://www.acsm.org

International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics - Guidelines on Sarcopenia and Muscle Functionhttps://www.iagg.info

Media Coverage of Research

Jaret, P. (2023, January 18). Grip strength can be a predictor of healthy aging. The Washington Post.

Harvard Health Publishing (2022). Why grip strength matters for your overall health. Harvard Medical School.

Notes on Research Quality

All primary studies cited above are peer-reviewed research published in reputable medical and scientific journals. The meta-analyses represent synthesis of multiple studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants across different populations and countries.

For the most current research developments in this rapidly evolving field, we recommend checking PubMed (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) using search terms like "toe grip strength falls," "handgrip strength mortality," and "sarcopenia biomarkers."

Last updated: [9/23/25] For questions about specific studies or access to full-text articles, please consult your local medical library or contact the study authors directly.