Association of Body Size and Muscle Grip Strength With Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Human Physiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Hypertension is a leading cause of global cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
• Reduced hand grip strength (HGS) is increasingly recognized as a potential indicator of elevated blood pressure and adverse cardiometabolic outcomes.
• The interplay of anthropometric measures (BMI, WHtR), muscle strength, and hypertension in rural Indian populations requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare anthropometric parameters and handgrip strength between hypertensive and normotensive adults in rural central India.
• To investigate the associations between body size, muscle strength, and hypertension within this population.
• To address the research gap concerning the combined influence of these factors in a specific rural demographic.

Main Methods:

• A comparative, cross-sectional, analytical study involving 100 participants (50 hypertensive, 50 normotensive) in rural central India.
• Standardized measurements of handgrip strength (HGS) using a grip force transducer and anthropometric data, including waist-to-height ratio (WHtR).
• Statistical analysis included independent samples Student's t-test for group comparisons and Pearson correlation for assessing associations between HGS, WHtR, and blood pressure.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in height or weight were observed between hypertensive and normotensive groups.
• Hypertensive individuals exhibited a significantly higher WHtR (0.587 vs. 0.49, p=0.0067), indicating greater central adiposity.
• Hypertensive participants demonstrated significantly lower mean HGS (58.32 N vs. 77.25 N, p<0.001) and maximum HGS (215.26 N vs. 335.06 N, p<0.001) compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights significantly lower mean and maximum hand grip strength (HGS) in hypertensive individuals compared to normotensive controls.
• A higher waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was observed in hypertensive participants, underscoring the role of central adiposity.
• These findings suggest that muscle function (HGS) and central adiposity (WHtR) are important factors in cardiovascular risk assessment and screening within the studied rural Indian population.