Handgrip strength and health outcomes: Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies

Soysal, Pınar; Hurst, Christopher; Demurtas, Jacopo; Firth, Joseph; Howden, Reuben; Yang, Lin; Tully, Mark A.; Koyanagi, Ai; Ilie, Petre Cristian; Sánchez, Guillermo Felipe López; Schwingshackl, Lukas; Veronese, Nicola; Smıth, Lee

doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2020.06.009

Cited by 126 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…In this context, handgrip strength has been considered an important marker of health in general [5][6][7][8] and of brain health in particular [9][10][11]. In line with this assumption, there is accumulating evidence linking measures of handgrip strength to cognitive functioning across the human lifespan.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Cortical hemodynamics as a function of handgrip strength and cognitive performance: a cross-sectional fNIRS study in younger adults

et al. 2021

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Background There is growing evidence for a positive correlation between measures of muscular strength and cognitive abilities. However, the neurophysiological correlates of this relationship are not well understood so far. The aim of this study was to investigate cortical hemodynamics [i.e., changes in concentrations of oxygenated (oxyHb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxyHb)] as a possible link between measures of muscular strength and cognitive performance. Methods In a cohort of younger adults (n = 39, 18–30 years), we assessed (i) handgrip strength by a handhold dynamometer, (ii) short-term working memory performance by using error rates and reaction times in the Sternberg task, and (iii) cortical hemodynamics of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results We observed low to moderate negative correlations (rp = ~ − 0.38 to − 0.51; p < 0.05) between reaction time and levels of oxyHb in specific parts of the PFC. Furthermore, we noticed low to moderate positive correlations (rp = ~ 0.34 to 0.45; p < 0.05) between reaction times and levels of deoxyHb in distinct parts of the PFC. Additionally, higher levels of oxyHb (rp (35) = 0.401; p = 0.014) and lower levels of deoxyHb (rp (34) = − 0.338; p = 0.043) in specific parts of the PFC were linked to higher percentage of correct answers. We also found low to moderate correlations (p < 0.05) between measures of handgrip strength and levels of oxyHb (rp = ~ 0.35; p < 0.05) and levels of deoxyHb (rp = ~ − 0.25 to − 0.49; p < 0.05) in specific parts of the PFC. However, there was neither a correlation between cognitive performance and handgrip strength nor did cortical hemodynamics in the PFC mediate the relationship between handgrip strength and cognitive performance (p > 0.05). Conclusion The present study provides evidence for a positive neurobehavioral relationship between cortical hemodynamics and cognitive performance. Our findings further imply that in younger adults higher levels of handgrip strength positively influence cortical hemodynamics although the latter did not necessarily culminate in better cognitive performance. Future research should examine whether the present findings can be generalized to other cohorts (e.g., older adults).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Cortical hemodynamics as a function of handgrip strength and cognitive performance: a cross-sectional fNIRS study in younger adults

et al. 2021

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“…Grip strength can be measured easily with a portable dynamometer, and provides the most common single diagnostic measure of muscle strength and performance [3,4]. Grip strength is a marker of health, and low values have been found to predict fractures, disability, type 2 diabetes, hospital outcomes, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular and cancer death, and cardiovascular disease [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Longitudinal decline in grip strength for an individual is also a strong risk factor for adverse outcomes [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of Body Shape Index (ABSI) with Hand Grip Strength

Krakauer

2020

IJERPH

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Hand grip is a leading measure of muscle strength and general health, yet its association with body shape is not well characterized. Here, we examine correlations between grip strength, a body shape index (ABSI), and body mass index (BMI) in the 2011–2014 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cohorts. Grip strength was found to correlate negatively with ABSI (though positively with BMI), suggesting that those with a more central body profile tend to be weaker than others with the same weight. Individuals with low grip strength, as well as those with high ABSI, were more likely to die during follow up, whereas there was no association of BMI with mortality hazard. Transforming the grip strength, ABSI, and BMI by taking their logarithm prior to standardization did not meaningfully change the associations seen. These findings suggest that combining anthropometrics (ABSI, BMI) with grip strength may better identify individual mortality hazard in research studies and clinical practice.

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“…Physical functioning was measured by HGS, which has been used in observational cohort studies and clinical settings [ 36 , 37 ]. HGS was measured using a hand-held grip dynamometer (model number NO6103; Tanita Corp., Tokyo, Japan) after instructions were given.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regular Exercise and Depressive Symptoms in Korean Older Adults

Kim

Cho

2021

IJERPH

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Prior studies have found that exercise has a positive effect on depressive symptoms in the general population. For older individuals, however, the association between exercise and depressive symptoms is conclusive. We examined whether regular exercise is related to depressive symptoms in 5379 Korean adults aged ≥55 years using data from a 2016 survey administered in the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. We used the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression scale to assess depressive symptoms. We performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate the relationship between regular exercise and depressive symptoms, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, self-rated health, number of chronic diseases, body mass index, hand-grip strength, physical disability, cognitive impairment, and health behavior. Interaction terms, including regular exercise and health-related factors, were also added. We found that a lack of regular exercise was significantly related to an increased frequency of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.03–1.35). Moreover, hand-grip strength may increase the effect of regular exercise on depressive symptoms in individuals 65 years and older (OR = 1.01 vs. 1.70, 95% CI = 1.05–1.96). Our results suggest that it is important to encourage older individuals to exercise regularly as a means of relieving depressive symptoms.

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Handgrip strength and health outcomes: Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies

Cited by 126 publications

References 46 publications

Cortical hemodynamics as a function of handgrip strength and cognitive performance: a cross-sectional fNIRS study in younger adults

Cortical hemodynamics as a function of handgrip strength and cognitive performance: a cross-sectional fNIRS study in younger adults

Association of Body Shape Index (ABSI) with Hand Grip Strength

Regular Exercise and Depressive Symptoms in Korean Older Adults

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