Introduction and Objective: Hand grip strength (HGS) is an established marker of physical condition and overall muscle strength. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 endorses HGS to identify low muscle strength, and it predicts frailty, disability, hospital stay, and mortality. Indian experts recently proposed population-specific cutoffs for low muscle strength: 26 kg for males and 18 kg for females. HGS measurement is quick, inexpensive, and practical, and could be a valuable screening tool for metabolic health and sarcopenia in India.Objectives:To quantify associations between HGS and demographic, anthropometric, and metabolic factors, including glycemic status. Methods: A cohort of 292 adults (94 males, 198 females) underwent evaluation for demographics, anthropometry, blood pressure, HbA1c, and body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). HGS (right and left) was measured using a Jamar 5030J1 dynamometer. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Welch’s t-tests, Pearson correlations, ANCOVA (adjusted for sex, diabetes, age, BMI), and ElasticNet modeling. Results: Prevalence of low hand grip strength (LHG) was 55%. Right, left, and average HGS were highly correlated (r ≥ 0.9). Skeletal muscle mass correlated most strongly with HGS (r ≈ 0.62-0.63), while percent body fat was inversely associated (r ≈ −0.37 to −0.43). Sex was the strongest determinant, with males having ~12 kg higher mean grip. Age had a small negative effect; HbA1c showed a weak inverse correlation (r ≈ −0.08). Diabetes status was not associated with HGS (Δ ≈ −0.35 kg, p = 0.79), though biomarker relationships differed in diabetics (e.g., hs-CRP r ≈ −0.16 vs +0.04). LHG prevalence was similar in participants 40 years (54.6%) and ≥40 years (55.7%). Conclusion: Low HGS was highly prevalent irrespective of age. Sex and body composition were dominant correlates. Routine HGS measurement can identify individuals at risk of sarcopenia and metabolic complications, even in younger adults and settings without BIA or DEXA. Disclosure N. Deshpande: None. R. Kalpekar: None. A. Modi: None. M. Halappannavar: None.
Deshpande et al. (Fri,) studied this question.