Weaker Hand Grip Strength Associated with Diabetes Risk

Adults with diabetes and hypertension have weaker hand-grip strength than those without the diseases, according to new research.

Since patients with diabetes and hypertension have lower muscle mass due to abnormal insulin metabolism, a hand-grip test might help diagnose individuals considered low risk for these diseases.
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To conduct their study, researchers analyzed data from 1467 healthy weight adults aged 20 to 64 years without cardiovascular disease participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012.

Researchers conducted a blood test to assess diabetes, a blood pressure test to assess hypertension, and a dynamometer test to assess hand-grip strength.

At baseline, 4% of patients had diagnosed diabetes and about 15% had diagnosed hypertension.

After analyzing the results in 2015, researchers found that less than 1% had undiagnosed diabetes and about 7% had undiagnosed hypertension.

Individuals with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes had weaker grip strength than those without diabetes. Undiagnosed diabetes patients had an average grip strength of 114 pounds, diagnosed diabetes patients gripped 136 pounds, and those without diabetes gripped 154 pounds.

The same was true for those with diagnosed and undiagnosed hypertension. Undiagnosed hypertension patients had an average grip strength of 140 pounds, diagnosed hypertension patients gripped 134 pounds, and those with normal blood pressure gripped 158 pounds.

“Among healthy weight adults, combined grip strength is lower in individuals with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes and hypertension,” researchers concluded.

--Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Mainous AG, Tanner RJ, Anton SD, and Jo A. Grip strength as a marker of hypertension and diabetes in healthy weight adults. Am J Prev Med. 2015;49(6):850-8. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.05.025.