The Longitudinal Associations of Handgrip Strength and Cognitive Function in Aging Americans.
Ryan McGrath, Brenda M Vincent, Kyle J Hackney and 3 others
PMID 31706916WHAT IT FOUND
Every 5-kilogram higher handgrip was linked with being less likely to have future cognitive impairment, and any cognitive impairment was linked with a 1.09-kilogram lower handgrip.
This is an association, not proof grip strength causes cognitive decline.
Key findings
01Every 5-kilogram higher handgrip strength was associated with 0.97 lower odds for future any cognitive impairment and future worse cognitive impairment.
02Those who were not weak had 0.54 lower odds for future any cognitive impairment and 0.57 lower odds for future worse cognitive impairment.
03Any cognitive impairment was associated with a 1.09-kilogram lower handgrip strength and 1.82 greater odds for subsequent weakness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is an observational study, so the authors state that causal inferences should not be made and direction of causation remains unclear. Handgrip strength was measured only at alternating waves, not at every interview wave, so timing of changes is limited. The analysis excluded proxy respondents, who may have had poorer cognitive functioning. Covariates such as health conditions, depression, physical activity, and self-rated health were self-reported and may be biased. Participants needed at least two observations, so people who died shortly after an interview may have been missed despite rapid declines. Biological factors that could influence results, such as Apolipoprotein E4, were not publicly available. The final analysed sample was 14,775 after exclusions from the 28,980 adults described, and some gender and age stratified models showed null results.
Declared interests
No author conflict-of-interest statement is supplied. The publication types indicate NIH and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use handgrip strength as a stand-alone test for cognitive impairment or assume that strengthening grip will improve cognition. This was an observational study of associations over time, and the authors state that causal inferences should not be made.