Mediation of fasting blood glucose between relative muscle strength and hypertension: insights from two cohorts

This study is the first to examine the partially mediating role of fasting blood glucose in the RMS-hypertension relationship across diverse populations. RMS was consistently associated with lower hypertension risk, with varying degrees of glucose mediation between cohorts. These findings support integrating RMS assessment into cardiovascular risk screening and highlight muscle strength as a potential target for non-pharmacological prevention. Given the cross-sectional nature of this study, longitudinal research is needed to clarify causal pathways and inform public health strategies.