High relative handgrip strength was associated with a 23% lower risk of incident hypertension compared to low relative handgrip strength in women (HR 0.77), whereas no significant association was observed in men.
Cohort (n=25,103)
Yes
Does higher relative muscular strength reduce the risk of incident hypertension and blood pressure progression in hypertension-free adults?
Higher relative muscular strength is associated with a lower risk of incident hypertension in women and favorable annual blood pressure changes in both sexes.
Hazard Ratio: 0.77 (95% CI 0.68–0.87)
Absolute Event Rate: 7.79% vs 16%
p-value: p=<0.0001
BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a chronic condition that increases the risk of incident cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. This study investigates the association between relative handgrip strength (rHGS), blood pressure (BP) changes, and incident hypertension risk. METHODS: Data from 25,103 hypertension-free participants from nationwide Korean cohorts at baseline were analyzed. Participants were categorized into sex-specific rHGS tertiles (low, mid, and high). Multiple linear regression models assessed the rHGS associations with annual BP changes, whereas multiple Cox proportional hazard regression models estimated incident hypertension risk. RESULTS: Over 105,833.68 person-years of follow-up, 3,401 (13.55%) participants developed hypertension. Every 0.1-unit increase in rHGS was associated with an annual decrease of 0.04 mmHg in systolic BP (SBP) and 0.02 mmHg in diastolic BP (DBP) among women. Women with mid and high rHGS had a 15% and 23% lower risk of hypertension, respectively, than those with low rHGS. In men, every 0.1-unit increase in rHGS was associated with an annual decrease of 0.02 mmHg in SBP; however, no significant association was observed between rHGS levels and incident hypertension risk. CONCLUSIONS: Higher muscular strength may protect against hypertension, particularly in women. However, the observed annual SBP reduction with increasing rHGS in men and women suggests that higher muscular strength may improve BP.
Park et al. (Fri,) conducted a cohort in Hypertension (n=25,103). High relative handgrip strength (rHGS) vs. Low relative handgrip strength was evaluated on Incident hypertension (in women) (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.68-0.87, p=<0.0001). High relative handgrip strength was associated with a 23% lower risk of incident hypertension compared to low relative handgrip strength in women (HR 0.77), whereas no significant association was observed in men.