Effects of Handgrip Strength on 10-Year Cardiovascular Risk among the Korean Middle-Aged Population: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014

Abstract

Handgrip strength is a simple, inexpensive health status indicator and can be used to assess mortality rate and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study used data from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014) to determine the effective use of handgrip strength to predict CVD risk. We analyzed data from 2427 adults aged from 40 to 64 years without CVD at baseline. Relative handgrip strength was calculated as the sum of the maximal absolute handgrip strength of both hands divided by body mass index, and the 10-year risk of CVD was calculated using the Framingham risk score. We performed logistic regression analysis to assess the association between handgrip strength and 10-year CVD risk. Results showed that CVD risk increased with age (95% CI: 1.19–1.33, p < 0.001). Men were 38.05 times more likely to develop CVD than women (95% CI: 15.80–91.58, p < 0.001). Every increase by 1 in handgrip strength reduced the 10-year CVD risk by 1.76 times (95% CI: 1.58–3.71, p < 0.001), and when waist-to-height ratio was <0.50, the CVD risk decreased by 3.3 times (95% CI: 0.16–0.56, p < 0.001). Developing specific modifications and improving lifestyle habits that could lead to increased handgrip strength and reduced obesity, which could prevent CVD, is recommended.

Association of Handgrip Strength and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Middle-Aged Postmenopausal Women: An Analysis of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014–2019

“…A study using the Framingham Risk Score to determine the 10-year risk of CVD among middle-aged women found that increasing relative grip strength was associated with a decreased 10year risk of cardiovascular events. 59 Menopause is an important life stage for women characterized by hormonal changes and changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Additionally, monitoring relative grip strength could be a simple and cost-effective way to identify individuals at higher risk of CVD.…”

“…A study using the Framingham Risk Score to determine the 10-year risk of CVD among middle-aged women found that increasing relative grip strength was associated with a decreased 10-year risk of cardiovascular events. 59 …”

Grip Strength Measurement in the Right Hand Better Predicts Mortality Regardless of Dominant Hand

“…In a study of Korean subjects, Kim et al [24] demonstrated that low grip strength in postmenopausal women is associated with low bone density and increased risk of future fragility fractures. Shim & Yoo [25] reported that for each 1 kg increase in grip strength, the 10-year cardiovascular disease risk decreases. However, Lee et al [26] pointed out that grip strength increase is associated with a decreased cardiovascular disease risk in young and middle-aged individuals, but not in the elderly; there- Alternatively, there was no significant difference in the mortality rate according to the grip strength of the dominant hand.…”

The Association Between Sociodemographic, Clinical Factors, Hand-grip Strength, and Erectile Dysfunction Among Men With Metabolic Syndrome Attending a Primary Care Clinic

“…The presence of ED was indicated by IIEF-5 scores that were equal or less than 21. The severity of ED was further categorised based on the IIEF-5 scores: severe (5-7), moderate (8-11), mild to moderate (12)(13)(14)(15)(16), mild (17)(18)(19)(20)(21), and no ED (22)(23)(24)(25).…”

“…The majority of evidences suggested that aerobic exercises has bene cial effects on CVD risks and continue to be the most common exercise prescription (11). On the other hand, resistance training exercises have different physiologic effects, that it improves muscle strength and appears to have positive effects on chronic heart failure (14), frailty (15), osteoporosis (16), and CVD risks (17).…”