The Association Between Muscle Weakness and Incident Diabetes in Older Mexican Americans.
Ryan McGrath, Brenda M Vincent, Soham Al Snih and 2 others
PMID 28330635WHAT IT FOUND
Weak grip strength in older Mexican Americans was linked to later diabetes diagnosis in both sexes.
This is an association, not proof that strength training prevents diabetes.
Key findings
01After adjustment, weak males had a hazard ratio of 1.05 and weak females a hazard ratio of 1.38 for incident diabetes.
02Weak males and females had greater body mass index, higher IADL disability, and higher obesity prevalence than not-weak males and females.
03Removing influential outliers changed the hazard ratios by 13.9% for males and 11.3% for females.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Participants were older Mexican Americans in the Southwestern United States, so results may not apply to other Hispanic American populations. Diabetes was based on self-report of a doctor's diagnosis, and the timing could be inconsistent. Many participants were excluded before analysis, including those with missing grip strength, and those with missing data differed in employment, obesity, and IADL disability. The association changed when influential outliers were removed, so the size of the link is sensitive to extreme cases. The study observed people over time; it did not randomise treatment or test whether improving grip strength prevents diabetes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving grip strength will prevent diabetes. This study only observed an association between baseline weakness and later self-reported diabetes, and it did not test any treatment.