Handgrip strength reference values and dynapenia risk thresholds in an urban adult sample from Lima, Peru.
Santos Lucio Chero-Pisfil, Aimeé Yajaira Díaz-Mau, Vanessa Elizabeth Huamanchumo-Barrientos and 6 others
PMID 42719054WHAT IT FOUND
In Lima adults, grip strength was lower than commonly reported in European and North American groups, fell by 2.5 kg per decade, and age and sex reference values can guide local screening.
Key findings
01Grip strength decreased by approximately 2.5 kg per decade in both hands.
02The proportion classified as possible dynapenia increased with age and reached 78.6% in the 60 to 70 year group.
03Older men's mean grip strength approached or fell below the EWGSOP2 cut-off, while women's mean values stayed above it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Participants were recruited by convenience sampling at one private center, and first come, first served selection may have biased who was included. The sample was limited to apparently healthy adults aged 20 to 70 years, so it does not describe people with musculoskeletal, neurological, or systemic conditions affecting the upper limb. The cross-sectional design cannot show how any individual's grip strength changed over time. The p10 threshold is a statistical reference point, not a validated diagnostic cut-off for dynapenia. The results may not apply to rural or high altitude populations in Peru. The study did not measure body composition, inflammation, oxidative stress, or clinical outcomes such as falls, disability, rehospitalization, or mortality.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use these p10 values as diagnostic cut-offs for dynapenia. They are percentile reference benchmarks, and the paper says they require prospective validation against outcomes such as disability, hospitalization, or mortality.