Association of handgrip strength and/or walking pace with incident chronic kidney disease: A UK biobank observational study

Abstract

Background The individual and combined relations of handgrip strength and walking pace with the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain uncertain. We aimed to investigate the relationship of handgrip strength and/or walking pace with incident CKD, using data from the large‐scale, observational UK Biobank. Methods A total of 417 504 participants free of prior kidney diseases were included from UK Biobank. Handgrip strength was assessed by dynamometer. The walking pace was self‐reported as slow, average, or brisk. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident CKD. Results The average age of the study population was 56.3 (SD, 8.1) years. 192 012 (46.0%) of the participants were male. The mean handgrip strength was 23.5 (SD, 6.2) and 40.0 (SD, 8.8) kg for females and males, respectively. Over a median follow‐up duration of 12.1 years, 11 064 (2.7%) participants developed incident CKD. Handgrip strength was significantly inversely associated with the risk of incident CKD in both males and females (both P for trend <0.001). When handgrip strength was assessed as sex‐specific quartiles, compared with those in the first quartile, the adjusted HRs (95% CI) of incident CKD in participants in the second, third and fourth quartiles were 0.84 (0.79, 0.89), 0.76 (0.71, 0.81) and 0.72 (0.67, 0.77), respectively. Compared with those with slow walking pace, participants with average (HR, 0.64; 95% CI: 0.60–0.68) or brisk (HR, 0.53; 95% CI: 0.49–0.57) walking pace had significantly lower risks of incident CKD. Compared with those with both lower handgrip strength (the first quartile) and slow walking pace, the lowest risk of incident CKD was observed in participants with both higher handgrip strength (the 2–4 quartiles) and average or brisk walking pace (HR, 0.51; 95% CI: 0.46–0.55). Conclusions Handgrip strength and walking pace were significantly inversely associated with incident CKD in the general population.

Associations of MRI-derived kidney volume, kidney function, body composition and physical performance in ≈38 000 UK Biobank participants: a population-based observational study

“…Moreover, body composition and physical capabilities are significantly associated with CKD risk [ 70 , 71 ]. For example, higher muscle mass, lower fat volume and better physical performance determined by handgrip strength or walking pace were associated with a lower risk of incident CKD [ 72–75 ]. Thus these factors may serve as an important indicator in evaluating kidney prognosis in individuals.…”

Association between longitudinal changes in body composition and the risk of kidney outcomes in participants with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus

“…However, in the ILI group, regular exercise resulted in greater improvements in systemic insulin sensitivity and muscle strength. Both insulin resistance and reduced muscle function lead to a higher risk of CKD 31,32 . Second, compared to the DSE group, the ILI group employed a low‐energy, low‐fat diet, and partial meal replacement therapy 33 .…”

“…Both insulin resistance and reduced muscle function lead to a higher risk of CKD. 31,32 Second, compared to the DSE group, the ILI group employed a low-energy, low-fat diet, and partial meal replacement therapy. 33 The improvement in dietary quality may be another potential reason for the kidney health benefits in the ILI group.…”

The association of handgrip strength with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database prospective cohort study with propensity score matching

“…HGS serves as a surrogate marker for early-stage sarcopenia ( 21 ), physical fitness, and functional capacity, with lower HGS potentially indicating reduced physical activity levels, elevated inflammation, and compromised cardiovascular and metabolic function ( 18 , 20 , 22–25 ). Additionally, low handgrip strength may reflect an overall decline in muscle mass and strength, which is frequently associated with age-related conditions and an elevated risk of adverse health outcomes ( 26–28 ).…”