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Published on: June 4, 2020
Handgrip Strength Asymmetry Predicts Mortality Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study From the UK Biobank
Yuling Li1, Decheng Li2, Ziyang Ren3
1School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Objectives:
Although low handgrip strength (HGS) is a well-established biomarker of aging and mortality, the prognostic significance of HGS asymmetry remains underexplored. This study sought to determine the associations of HGS asymmetry patterns with frailty, comorbidities, mortality risk, and life expectancy in a large population-based cohort.
Design:
Prospective cohort study.
Setting And Participants:
This study used data from the UK Biobank, including 308,810 participants aged 37 to 73 years.
Methods:
HGS asymmetry was defined as a difference exceeding 10% in the HGS ratio. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression was conducted to assess the associations with adverse health conditions, including frailty and comorbidities. Cox models were used to evaluate mortality risk, whereas flexible parametric survival models were used to estimate life expectancy. All analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical confounders.
Results:
HGS asymmetry, especially dominant asymmetry, was found to be significantly associated with adverse health conditions and increased mortality. In contrast with the HGS symmetry and nondominant HGS asymmetry groups, dominant HGS asymmetry conferred a higher risk of frailty (adjusted odds ratio, 1.42) and comorbidities (adjusted odds ratio, 1.15). During a median 13.6-year follow-up, dominant HGS asymmetry was linked to a 13% elevated risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.13), surpassing the risk associated with nondominant HGS asymmetry (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.08). Symmetrical HGS demonstrated a distinct longevity advantage, whereas dominant HGS asymmetry was associated with the shortest life expectancy.
Conclusions And Implications:
HGS asymmetry was associated with an increased risk of frailty, comorbidities, and mortality in subsequent years. More attention should be paid to dominant HGS asymmetry when predicting adverse health conditions and mortality.
