Handgrip Strength Asymmetry and Weakness Are Associated with Lower Cognitive Function: A Panel Study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Non-randomized longitudinal cohort panel study
PubMed 32473060 · doi:10.1111/jgs.16556
What was done
Data from 17,163 Americans (mean age 65.0 ± 10.1 years) who participated in the 2006 to 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were evaluated in a longitudinal panel design. Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured using a dynamometer; weakness was defined as <26 kg (men) or <16 kg (women). Asymmetry was defined as >10% difference between hands (categorized as any, dominant, or nondominant asymmetry). Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status (≤11 for ages 50–64; ≤10 for ages ≥65). Covariate-adjusted linear mixed-effects models analyzed associations between HGS categories and lower cognitive functioning.
What was found
Relative to symmetric HGS without weakness, the odds of lower cognitive functioning were: - Any HGS asymmetry alone: OR 1.15 (95% CI: 1.03–1.27) - Weakness alone: OR 1.64 (95% CI: 1.21–2.23) - Any HGS asymmetry and weakness: OR 1.95 (95% CI: 1.51–2.53) - Asymmetric dominant HGS alone: OR 1.12 (95% CI: 1.01–1.25) - Asymmetric nondominant HGS alone: OR 1.27 (95% CI: 1.05–1.53) - Weakness and asymmetric dominant HGS: OR 1.89 (95% CI: 1.39–2.57) - Weakness and asymmetric nondominant HGS: OR 2.10 (95% CI: 1.37–3.20)
Why it matters
Combining handgrip strength asymmetry and weakness improves the identification of older adults at higher risk for cognitive impairment compared to evaluating weakness alone.
Limits
Cognitive function was assessed via telephone screening rather than detailed clinical evaluation. Residual confounding cannot be excluded in this observational cohort, and underlying etiologies of handgrip asymmetry were not characterized in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Grip strength asymmetry is studied as an early predictive marker for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, reflecting nerve denervation and neurological health.