Low handgrip strength with or without asymmetry is associated with elevated all-cause mortality risk in older Chinese males.

AIM

This study aimed to examine the link between handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry and mortality risk among older Chinese adults.

METHODS

These analyses were conducted using data from adults aged 60 years and older from the 2011-2013 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, using baseline participant data collected in 2011. Proxy-reported information was used to assess the mortality outcomes of the participants over a 2-year follow-up. The highest recorded HGS values for each hand were used to compute the HGS asymmetry ratio (non-dominant HGS/dominant HGS) and HGS weakness (Male<26 kg, Female<16 kg). Covariate-adjusted Cox models were employed to gauge the relationship between abnormal HGS and mortality risk.

RESULTS

Overall, 5083 adults were enrolled in this study, of whom 50.15% (2549/5083) were male. The proportions of low HGS alone, HGS asymmetry alone, and asymmetric and low HGS were 6.43%, 30.95%, and 9.22%, respectively, in males, and 4.81%, 35.87%, and 9.55%, respectively, in females. A total of 96 and 78 deaths were recorded for male (3.77%) and female (3.08%) participants, respectively, over the 2-year follow-up period. Significant differences in mortality were observed between the different HGS groups for both sexes. An adjusted Cox regression analysis model confirmed that only low HGS (P = 0.047, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.949, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.008-3.768) and low HGS with asymmetry (P = 0.007, HR = 2.152, 95% CI: 1.231-3.764) were significantly associated with mortality risk in older males.

CONCLUSIONS

The results revealed that low HGS with or without asymmetry was associated with a higher risk of death over a 2-year follow-up interval in older Chinese males. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 692-699.