[Sarcopenia: new cut-off value of handgrip in postmenopausal Argentine women]

Sarcopenia is a global health problem, there are currently several criteria for its diagnosis and the implementation of its own cut-off values for each population is recommended. The objective was to evaluate the handgrip strength (HG) in postmenopausal women from Buenos Aires and establish a cut-off value.

A total of 704 women ≥50 years of age were evaluated, who answered a questionnaire on osteoporosis risk and HG was taken. Those with arthritis or pain in the hands were excluded, leaving 678 women for analysis. A subpopulation of 148 healthy women was selected to define the minimum normal value of the HG of our population.

The HG was 20.44 ± 5.19 kg, with a significant decrease in values after 70 years. The HG in the group of healthy women was 22.08 ± 5.13 kg. And the cutoff value of 17.5 kg was established in our population (first quintile). 28.6% of the total population presented decreased HG and reached 53.7% in women >80 years. HG <17.5 kg was associated with a 67% increased risk of falls in the total group of women >50 years.

The HG is a simple tool that is easy to implement in clinical practice and is considered the first step for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. The cut-off value of HG <17.5 kg could be used for the evaluation of sarcopenia in women >50 years of Buenos Aires.