Aging Decreases Hand Volume Expansion with Water Immersion

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Physiology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Hands display aging signs through altered skin texture, permeability, and vascular properties.
• Clinical hand volume measurements for edema or carpal tunnel syndrome often overlook age-related variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the hypothesis that age influences hand volumeter measurements.
• To compare hand volume changes in younger (≤40 years) versus older (>40 years) adults during water immersion.

Main Methods:

• Four hand volume measurements were recorded at 5-minute intervals over 20 minutes of water immersion.
• A clinically-approved hand volumeter was utilized for all measurements.
• Participants were divided into two age groups: ≤40 years and >40 years.

Main Results:

• Younger adults (≤40 years) showed significantly higher hand volume increases (right: 4.3±2%, left: 3.4±2.1%) compared to older adults (>40 years) (right: 2.2±2.0%, left: -0.6±2.4%).
• The difference in hand volume changes between age groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001).
• Hand volume changes were not correlated with body mass index (BMI) or gender.

Conclusions:

• Age is a significant factor affecting hand volume changes during water immersion.
• Younger individuals demonstrate a more pronounced increase in hand volume, indicating potential age-related differences in fluid dynamics or tissue response.
• Clinical assessments using hand volumeters should consider patient age for accurate interpretation of results.