Handgrip strength test as a complementary tool in monitoring asthma in daily clinical practice in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

• Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children.
• Accurate diagnosis and severity assessment are crucial for effective management.
• Current diagnostic methods may require specialized equipment or significant time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the handgrip strength test's ability to distinguish between healthy children and those with asthma.
• To assess if the handgrip strength test can differentiate between intermittent and moderate persistent asthma.
• To explore the handgrip strength test as a potential complementary tool for asthma monitoring.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 140 children (70 healthy, 70 with asthma) was conducted.
• Participants completed the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) and performed a handgrip strength test.
• Spirometry was performed 48 hours later to assess lung function.

Main Results:

• Children with asthma exhibited significantly lower handgrip strength compared to healthy children (p<0.001).
• Significant differences in handgrip strength were observed based on asthma severity (p=0.024), with moderate persistent asthma showing lower strength.
• Handgrip strength served as a predictive factor for asthma presence (cut-off 16.84 kg) and severity (cut-off 15.06 kg).
• Handgrip strength showed a positive association with lung capacity and quality of life.

Conclusions:

• The handgrip strength test effectively discriminates between the presence and absence of asthma in children.
• This test can differentiate between intermittent and moderate persistent asthma, aiding in severity assessment.
• Handgrip strength testing is a promising, simple, and complementary tool for monitoring asthma in clinical practice.