Researchers have found that greater grip strength in older women reduces mortality risk, regardless of weight change, suggesting that mobility and strength support should have more focus than weight loss in this group.
Grip strength and short physical performance battery (SPPB) are measures of physical functioning. Grip strength assesses strength of grip alone, whereas SPPB is a cumulative score considering three components: balance test, timed walk, and chair stands.
Previous studies have shown a link between increased grip strength and lower all-cause mortality. SPPB considers timed walk, balance test, and chair stands, and is associated with CVD risk in older women. However, studies of the effects of weight loss on grip strength which evaluated participants before and after weight loss interventions have shown inconsistent results.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers followed 5039 older women for an average of 5.4 years. They found that loss of 5% or more body weight was associated with a 66% higher risk of dying. However, there was no association of weight gain with mortality.
The researchers also found that higher grip strength and better lower extremity functioning were associated with lower risks of death during follow-up, regardless of weight change.
“Our findings support increasing efforts to improve mobility and muscle strength in older women and less focus on long-term weight loss in this population,” said lead author Lisa Underland, DO, of Children’s Hospital at Montefiore.
Source: Wiley
