Relative Handgrip Strength Positively Correlates with Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Level in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: The aim of this clinical study was to discover a new factor affecting muscle strength and quality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and methods: The relationship between muscle strength and quality and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), random triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HGL-C) levels were studied. Relative handgrip strength (RHGS) was used to evaluate muscular strength and quality. RHGS was calculated by dividing the absolute handgrip strength by body mass index (BMI). Using the stepwise method, multiple regression analysis was conducted and the linear correlation between variables was calculated by estimating Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: This study enrolled 68 patients with T2D. The majority of the participants were men, accounting for 71.5%. The median values of the measured parameters were as follows: age 67 years, physical activity level 10.1 METs/h/week, estimated glomerular filtration rate 57.0 mL/min/1.73 m2, systolic blood pressure 123.5 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure 69.0 mmHg, body weight 64.1 kg, body mass index 24.35 kg/m2, HbA1c level 7.4%, random TG level 139 mg/dL, HDL-C level 52.5 mg/dL, and T2D duration 16.0 years. RHGS was 1.47 ± 0.40 kg/BMI. RHGS was associated with LDL-C (r = 0.349) but was not correlated with random TG and HDL-C (r = 0.124 and r = 0.088, respectively). Conclusions: Patients with T2D with better muscle strength and quality demonstrated an increased LDL-C level. In patients with T2D, LDL-C may be a factor affecting muscle strength and quality.