Prevalence and Trends of Handgrip Strength Asymmetry in the United States

Advances in geriatric medicine and research · 8 authors, 13 centres

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TL;DR

It found that asymmetry is common, particularly in older adults and women, but showed no significant overall trends from 2006 to 2016.

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This study used nationally representative data from the 2006–2016 Health and Retirement Study to estimate the prevalence and trends of handgrip strength asymmetry in 23,056 US adults aged ≥50 years. Asymmetry was calculated from the highest recorded handgrip strength values for each hand and categorized into three severity levels. The results showed that asymmetry was highly prevalent, with 53.4% of participants having >10% asymmetry in the 2014–2016 wave. There were no statistically significant trends over time. Some differences were also observed by race and ethnicity. The study is limited by the lack of established universal asymmetry cut-points and did not exclude participants with morbidities that might influence asymmetry. The findings suggest that asymmetry is a common marker of muscle dysfunction that warrants ongoing surveillance.

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cohort

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epidemiology

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10373124

Prevalence and Trends of Handgrip Strength Asymmetry in the United States

Advances in geriatric medicine and research

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ABSTRACT

Background: Strength asymmetries are a type of muscle function impairment that is associated with several health conditions. However, the prevalence of these asymmetries among adults from the United States remains unknown. We sought to estimate the prevalence and trends of handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry in American adults. Methods: The unweighted analytic sample included 23,056 persons aged at least 50-years with information on HGS for both hands from the 2006–2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. A handgrip dynamometer measured HGS, with the highest recorded values for each hand used to calculate asymmetry. Persons were categorized into the following asymmetry severity categories: (1) >10%, (2) >20.0%, and (3) >30.0%. Survey weights were used to generate nationally-representative asymmetry estimates. Results: Overall, there were no statistically significant trends in HGS asymmetry categories over time. The prevalence of HGS asymmetry in the 2014–2016 wave was 53.4% (CI: 52.2–54.4), 26.0% (CI: 25.0–26.9), and 11.7% (CI: 10.9–12.3) for asymmetry at >10%, >20%, and >30%, respectively. HGS asymmetry was generally higher in older Americans compared to middle-aged adults at each wave. In the 2014–2016 wave, >30% asymmetry prevalence was 13.7% (CI: 12.7–14.6) in females and 9.3% (CI: 8.4–10.2) in males. Some differences in asymmetry prevalence by race and ethnicity were observed. Conclusions: The prevalence of asymmetry was generally high, especially in women and older adults. Ongoing surveillance of strength asymmetry will help monitor trends in muscle dysfunction, guide screening for disablement, identify subpopulations at risk for asymmetry, and inform relevant interventions.

CITATION EXPORT

Ryan McGrath, Justin J. Lang, Brian C. Clark et al.. Prevalence and Trends of Handgrip Strength Asymmetry in the United States. Advances in geriatric medicine and research. (2023). https://doi.org/10.20900/agmr20230006

AUTHORS

8 · 13 CENTRES

Ryan McGrath, Justin J. Lang, Brian C. Clark, Peggy M. Cawthon, Kennedy Black, Jacob Kieser, Brooklyn J. Fraser, Grant R. Tomkinson

1Healthy Aging North Dakota (HAND), North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
2Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
3Fargo VA Healthcare System, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
4Department of Geriatrics, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
5Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, 5000, Australia
6Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A0K9, Canada
7School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N6N5, Canada
8Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
9Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
10Division of Geriatric Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
11California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
12Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
13Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7001, Australia