– ‘Analyzing the Relationship Between Strength and Metabolic Disorders Using ‘Relative Handgrip Strength’ Considering Body Mass’
– ‘Study Reaffirms the Importance of Strength in Elderly Health Management’
A study has been published showing that the weaker the handgrip strength among the elderly aged 65 and older, the higher the risk of developing diabetes.
Professor Son Yeo-joo from the Department of Family Medicine at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital published a study titled “Association of relative handgrip strength on the development of diabetes mellitus in elderly Koreans” on October 31st in the online journal PLOS ONE by the Public Library of Science.
Professor Son used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) from 2006 to 2020, tracking and observing 22,016 repeated measurements among participants aged 65 and older without diabetes to confirm the correlation between relative handgrip strength and diabetes incidence.
Relative handgrip strength (relative HGS) is an index that considers both muscle strength and body mass index (BMI), calculated by dividing absolute handgrip strength by BMI.
According to the study results, groups with higher relative handgrip strength were at a lower risk of developing diabetes. When dividing handgrip strength into tertiles, men in the middle level (2nd Tertile) had an odds ratio (OR) of 0.87 for developing diabetes compared to the lowest group (1st Tertile), and the highest group had an OR of 0.82. Among elderly women, the middle level had an OR of 0.82, and the highest group had an OR of 0.79 compared to the lowest group. This confirms that increasing muscle strength positively impacts diabetes prevention.
Previous studies focused on absolute handgrip strength, but this study utilized relative handgrip strength considering body mass, providing a more accurate analysis of the relationship between strength and metabolic disorders. This research suggests that efforts to improve muscle strength through resistance exercises and reduce BMI can play a significant role in preventing diabetes in the elderly, emphasizing the importance of strength evaluation and management in elderly health care.
Professor Son Yeo-joo stated, “This study confirmed the importance of muscle strength in elderly health management,” and evaluated that “the new analytical approach considering relative handgrip strength may contribute to preventing chronic diseases like diabetes.”
She added, “Investigating the relationship between relative handgrip strength and diabetes will help healthcare professionals, including medical staff, develop individualized treatment plans for the elderly, ultimately contributing to improving the health and quality of life of the elderly population.”
Meanwhile, Professor Son Yeo-joo is conducting follow-up research analyzing the comprehensive effects of various factors on the development of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, including not only relative handgrip strength but also muscle mass, physical activity levels, and dietary habits.