Trajectories of Handgrip Strength and Their Associations with Mortality among Older Adults in Korea: Analysis of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging

Abstract

Background Handgrip strength (HGS) is a good predictor of adverse health outcomes in later life. This prospective study aimed to investigate whether HGS trajectory patterns were associated with all-cause mortality among older adults in Korea. Methods This study used the database of the 2006–2016 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. Study participants included 3,069 adults aged ≥65 years without a previous history of cancer. The trajectory model was developed to identify different homogeneous trajectory patterns of HGS according to study period. Cox proportional hazards models were then applied to investigate the association between HGS and all-cause mortality. Results The survival probability according to HGS during the follow-up period decreased as base HGS weakened. We identified four distinct trajectory groups of HGS among men and three among women. The risk of mortality increased as the HGS of both males and females decreased. Compared with the highest HGS group, the adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality of the lowest, lower-mid, and upper-mid HGS groups among males were 3.46 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.17–6.69), 2.26 (95% CI, 1.47–3.48), and 1.58 (95% CI, 1.07–2.32). Those of the low and mid HGS groups among females were 2.69 (95% CI, 1.39–5.21) and 1.97 (95% CI, 1.05–3.69). Conclusion The faster HGS declined over time, the greater the all-cause mortality risk increased compared with the slowly decreasing or maintained HGS groups among men and women. HGS measurement among older adults will be helpful in assessing their health statuses and pre-assessing disease-associated morbidity.

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

“…derly's upper extremity and frailty [6]. Grip strength, a surrogate indicator of muscle strength, is simple, inexpensive, and easily used [13,14].…”

Importance of Handgrip Strength as a Health Indicator in the Elderly

“…In the present issue, Bae et al 3) investigated the association between HGS and mortality among older adults in Korea. In particular, this study investigated the trajectories of HGS using the 2006-2016 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging.…”

“…In recent years, there has been an increase in literature investigating the association between HGS and health outcomes. There are reports of a correlation between HGS and dyslipidemia, 2) cognitive function, 3) and diabetes. Most of the studies to date have addressed a single disease endpoint; some studies report an association between baseline HGS and mortality risk.…”

Grip Strength as a Cardiometabolic Marker

“…5,6) Several studies conducted on the Korean population have evaluated muscle strength using grip strength measurement in the Korean Journal of Family Medicine. [7][8][9][10][11][12] Most studies used national databases such as the Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 7,8) or the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. [10][11][12] However, there is no established standard protocol for measuring and reporting grip strength data.…”

“…[7][8][9][10][11][12] Most studies used national databases such as the Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 7,8) or the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. [10][11][12] However, there is no established standard protocol for measuring and reporting grip strength data. 13) Some studies used the absolute or dominant grip strengths, which were defined as the sum of the largest readings for both hands, and the grip strength of the dominant hand, respectively, whereas other studies used the mean grip strength of both hands.…”