Association between Weight Loss and Hand-Grip Strength with Cause-Specific Mortality in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Abstract

PURPOSE This study investigated the association between weight loss and handgrip strength (HGS) with cause-specific mortality in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS A total of 8,175 participants (54.1% women) aged ≥45 years, who participated in the Korean longitudinal study of aging (KLoSA) were included. Study participants were classified as stable weight and 5 kg or more weight loss group based on weight change and as high, middle, and low categories based on HGS distributions. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) according to weight change status and HGS levels. RESULTS During 13.0±3.1 years of follow-up, there were 1,809 (22.1%) deaths. In all-cause mortality, middle HGS (stable weight; HR=1.289, p<.001; weight loss; HR=1.723, p<.001) and low HGS (stable weight; HR=1.665, p<.001; weight loss; HR=2.488, p<.001) resulted in an increased risk of mortality compared to stable weight and high HGS (HR=1). Similarly, in non-CVD mortality, middle HGS (stable weight; HR=1.241, p=.005; weight loss; HR=1.816, p<.001) and low HGS (stable weight; HR=1.611, p<.001; weight loss; HR=2.658, p<.001) resulted in an increased risk of mortality compared to stable weight and high HGS (HR=1). However, in the high HGS category, no significant differences in the risk of all-cause and non-CVD mortality according to weight change were observed. CONCLUSIONS The current finding suggested that the promotion of upper body muscular strength may play an important role in preventing premature death from all-cause and non-CVD, especially among those who suffer from weight loss.

Keywords

• weight loss
• handgrip strength
• mortality
• middle-aged and older adults