Evaluation of handgrip strength and prostate cancer risk using propensity score matching in 64,371 European men

The predictive value of low handgrip strength (HGS) for prostate cancer remains unclear. This study assessed whether low HGS is associated with increased prostate cancer risk among older European men.

Data were drawn from a longitudinal cohort of 64,371 men aged 50 and above at baseline, recruited in wave 1 (2004) of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), and followed prospectively across multiple waves from 2004 to 2022. Prostate cancer was identified via self-reported physician diagnoses. HGS was measured using a Smedley dynamometer. We applied pooled logistic regression, fixed-effects models, and propensity score matching (PSM), adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), mental health, chronic conditions, and country-level effects.

Initial models showed that low HGS was associated with a 1.13 percentage point increase in prostate cancer risk. However, this association became statistically insignificant after adjusting for covariates. Logistic regression yielded an unadjusted odds ratio of 1.742, which lost significance when adjusted. Fixed-effects models showed no significant association of low HGS with prostate cancer. PSM estimated a 66% relative increase in risk (1.04 percentage points; OR = 1.641) - though statistically insignificant after country-level matching.

Low HGS does not independently predict prostate cancer risk in older European men. While HGS is a valuable marker of overall health, its role in assessing prostate cancer risk appears to be limited. Future research should investigate the biological pathways that link muscle strength to cancer outcomes.