Usefulness of Relative Handgrip Strength as a Simple Indicator of Cardiovascular Risk in Middle-Aged Koreans

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

Purpose

Handgrip strength is an indicator of overall muscle strength and has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests that menopause is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women, and muscle strength decreases progressively after menopause. Despite the prognostic importance of the decline in muscle strength and increased cardiovascular disease risk among postmenopausal women, evidence of their association is limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between handgrip strength and cardiovascular disease risk among postmenopausal, middle-aged Korean women.

Patients and Methods

Using pooled cohort equations, we calculated the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) among postmenopausal women (N = 2019) aged 50-64 years without cardiovascular disease history from the 2014-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Relative grip strength was defined as measured grip strength divided by body mass index. Logistic regression analysis of a complex sampling design was performed to evaluate the association between relative grip strength and a predicted 10-year ASCVD risk ≥7.5%.

Results

The average handgrip strength was 24.8 kg, and 5.2% of women were considered for sarcopenia (<18 kg). The quartile-stratified relative grip strength was negatively associated with 10-year ASCVD risk (p < 0.001). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the adjusted odds ratio for the highest relative grip strength quartile was 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36-0.78), and that of the group who breastfed for more than 12 months was 1.75 (95% CI: 1.36-2.25) for 10-year ASCVD risk.

Conclusion

Increased handgrip strength may be associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk among middle-aged postmenopausal women in Korea. Our findings provide critical evidence regarding the importance of increasing handgrip strength among postmenopausal, middle-aged women to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Handgrip strength measurement might be a valuable screening tool for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health and its relationship with relative handgrip strength in rural northeast China

Objectives

We aimed to investigate ideal cardiovascular health (CVH), its relationship with handgrip strength, and its components in rural China.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 3,203 rural Chinese individuals aged ≥35 years in Liaoning Province, China. Of these, 2,088 participants completed the follow-up survey. Handgrip strength was estimated using a handheld dynamometer and was normalized to body mass. Ideal CVH was assessed using seven health indicators (smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose). Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the correlation between handgrip strength and ideal CVH.

Results

Women had a higher rate of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) than men (15.7% vs. 6.8%, P < 0.001). Higher handgrip strength correlated with a higher proportion of ideal CVH (P for trend <0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of ideal CVH across increasing handgrip strength tripartite were 1.00 (reference), 2.368 (1.773, 3.164), and 3.642 (2.605, 5.093) in the cross-sectional study and 1.00 (reference), 2.088 (1.074, 4.060), and 3.804 (1.829, 7.913) in the follow-up study (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In rural China, the ideal CVH rate was low, and positively correlated with handgrip strength. Grip strength can be a rough predictor of ideal CVH and can be used to provide guidelines for improving CVH in rural China.

Low relative hand grip strength is associated with a higher risk for diabetes and impaired fasting glucose among the Korean population

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the association between relative hand grip strength (HGS) and glycemic status, such as impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and diabetes, using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study using the data from the KNHANES of 27,894 individuals from 2014 to 2019. Relative HGS was defined as the absolute HGS divided by body mass index and divided into quartiles in men and women. Odds ratios (OR) for diabetes and IFG were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. All analyses were stratified by sex, and subgroup analysis was age-stratified.

RESULTS

The lowest relative HGS quartile had a significant increase in the risk for diabetes (men: OR 2.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12-3.50; women: OR 3.38, 95% CI 2.70-4.24) and IFG (men: OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.15-1.59; women: OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.40-1.84). The ORs for diabetes and IFG according to the decreasing quartiles of relative HGS gradually increased in both sexes (P for trend <0.001). ORs and 95% CI of the lowest relative HGS quartile for diabetes were higher in the younger age group than that of the older age group (men: 4.47 and 2.80-7.14 for young adults; 2.41 and 1.37-4.25 for older adults; women: 5.91 and 3.06-9.38 for young adults; 1.47 and 0.92-2.33 for older adults). ORs and 95% CI for IFG was similar with the trend of ORs for diabetes (men: 1.80 and 1.43-2.26 for young adults; 1.17 and 0.75-1.84 for older adults; women: 2.20 and 1.77-2.72 for young adults; 1.33 and 0.86-2.07 for older adults).

CONCLUSION

Lower relative HGS was associated with a higher risk of not only diabetes but also IFG in both sexes. These trends were stronger in younger adults than in older adults.