Strength and multimorbidity among community-dwelling elderly from southern Brazil

The number of chronic diseases is associated with the reduction in muscle mass and strength in older people (≥60 y of age). The purpose of this study was to asses the association between multimorbidities and handgrip strength in older community-dwelling individuals from a city in southern Brazil, identifying potential differences according to sex and loss of muscle mass.

This was a cross-sectional population-based study among older individuals living in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Grip strength was assessed with digital dynamometers according to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) to define dynapenia. Multimorbidity was defined by self-report as the presence of at least 5 diseases diagnosed by a physician. Covariates of the study were age, sex, socioeconomic status, schooling, marital status, nutritional status, alcohol consumption, and smoking habits. Statistical analyses were stratified according to the presence of myopenia (low muscle mass).

We received completed information from 1336 individuals ≥60 y of age. Multimorbidity was 50% and 16% more prevalent, respectively, among men and women classified in the lower quartile of manual grip strength (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.95 for men and PR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.32 for women) compared with those from the upper quartile. Among men without myopenia, the presence of dynapenia increased the odds of having multimorbidity (PR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.18-1.71). Among those with myopenia, there was a 10% increase in the prevalence of multimorbidity only for women with dynapenia (PR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00-1.21).

Results from the present study indicated an association between manual grip strength and multimorbidity among this population, and the effect measures were greater in men. Manual grip strength proved to be a good marker of health in this population, especially in those who did not present with myopenia.