Between‐study differences in grip strength: a comparison of Norwegian and Russian adults aged 40–69 years

Abstract

Background Identifying individuals with low grip strength is an initial step in many operational definitions of sarcopenia. As evidence indicates that contemporaneous Russian populations may have lower mean levels of grip strength than other populations in northern Europe, we aimed to: compare grip strength in Russian and Norwegian populations by age and sex; investigate whether height, body mass index, education, smoking status, alcohol use and health status explain observed differences and; examine implications for case‐finding low muscle strength. Methods We used harmonized cross‐sectional data on grip strength and covariates for participants aged 40–69 years from the Russian Know Your Heart study (KYH) (n = 3833) and the seventh survey of the Norwegian Tromsø Study (n = 5598). Maximum grip strength (kg) was assessed using the same protocol and device in both studies. Grip strength by age, sex and study was modelled using linear regression and between‐study differences were predicted from these models. Sex‐specific age‐standardized differences in grip strength and in prevalence of low muscle strength were estimated using the European population standard of 2013. Results Normal ranges of maximum grip strength in both studies combined were 33.8 to 67.0 kg in men and 18.7 to 40.1 kg in women. Mean grip strength was higher among Tromsø than KYH study participants and this difference did not vary markedly by age or sex. Adjustment for covariates, most notably height, attenuated between‐study differences but these differences were still evident at younger ages. For example, estimated between‐study differences in mean grip strength in fully adjusted models were 2.2 kg [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4, 3.1] at 40 years and 1.0 kg (95% CI 0.5, 1.5) at 65 years in men (age × study interaction P = 0.09) and 1.1 kg (95% CI 0.4, 1.9) at age 40 years and −0.2 kg (95% CI −0.7, 0.3) at 65 years in women (age × study interaction P < 0.01). Conclusions We found between‐study differences in mean grip strength that are likely to translate into greater future risk of sarcopenia and poorer prospects of healthy ageing for Russian than Norwegian study participants. For example, the average Russian participant had a similar level of grip strength to a Norwegian participant 7 years older. Our findings suggest these differences may have their origins in childhood highlighting the need to consider interventions in early life to prevent sarcopenia.

Body mass index, waist circumference and pre-frailty/frailty: the Tromsø study 1994−2016

“…It aligns with the findings from a study where the grip strengths of Tromsø7 participants and Russian Know Your Heart study participants aged 40–69 years were compared. The average Norwegian participant had a mean grip strength comparable to a 7-year younger Russian counterpart 57. This indicates that the nordic population might be comparatively healthier,58 thus limiting the generalisability of our findings to other populations across the globe.…”

“…The average Norwegian participant had a mean grip strength comparable to a 7-year younger Russian counterpart. 57 This indicates that the nordic population might be comparatively healthier, 58 thus limiting the generalisability of our findings to other populations across the globe. Only a subsample of our study population had information on both BMI and WC, and an even lower number had repeated measurements available for both exposures.…”

Machine Learning Applications in Sarcopenia Detection and Management: A Comprehensive Survey

“…Sarcopenia, a progressive and generalized skeletal muscle disorder, leads to adverse outcomes such as falls, disability, cognitive decline, and mortality and a significant threat to the maintenance of independence [ 4 ], which can be estimated by a decrease in muscle mass and strength, and physical performance.…”

Normative values of hand grip strength in a large unselected Chinese population: Evidence from the China National Health Survey

“…Several normative values for HGS have been established in people from Western countries 4,12–15 . However, there are variations in HGS values among countries, which could be attributed to significant differences in lifetime exposures, body size and composition 16 . The PURE study that assessed grip strength in adults aged 35–70 who reside in 21 countries suggested that individual HGS measurements should be interpreted using region‐specific reference ranges 17 .…”

“…4,[12][13][14][15] However, there are variations in HGS values among countries, which could be attributed to significant differences in lifetime exposures, body size and composition. 16 The PURE study that assessed grip strength in adults aged 35-70 who reside in 21 countries suggested that individual HGS measurements should be interpreted using region-specific reference ranges. 17 Although some studies have explored the HGS values among Asian people, 11,18,19 they focused on elders or in a selected population, for example, in healthcare industry workers, lacking data with a broad age range in a general unselected population.…”