Handgrip strength asymmetry increases risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a dose-response analysis across 28 countries

Objective: to examine the association between handgrip strength asymmetry and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Methods: this cohort study analyzed participants aged 50 years and older from the SHARE study (2004–2022) across 28 countries. Handgrip strength asymmetry was assessed us...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Polo-López, Ana, Andersen, Lars L., Núñez-Cortés, Rodrigo, López-Bueno, Rubén, Cruz-Montecinos, Carlos, Suso-Martí, Luis, Calatayud, Joaquín
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad Pública de Navarra
Repositorio:Academica-e. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Pública de Navarra
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:academicae__::97c1c8376266eebd9b5ecce87cab568b
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2454/56690
Access Level:acceso embargado
Palabra clave:Strength
All-cause mortality
Cardiovascular mortality
Older adults
Descripción
Sumario:Objective: to examine the association between handgrip strength asymmetry and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Methods: this cohort study analyzed participants aged 50 years and older from the SHARE study (2004–2022) across 28 countries. Handgrip strength asymmetry was assessed using a dynamometer, and mortality outcomes (all-cause and cardiovascular) were determined through proxy interviews. Using time-varying Cox regression models, we examined the association between handgrip asymmetry and mortality risk, adjusting for multiple covariates. Results: the study included 107,256 participants (54.9 % women, 45.1 % men). Over a mean follow-up of 7.3 years, 11,574 deaths (10.8 %) from all causes and 4274 (3.98 %) from cardiovascular causes were recorded. The analysis revealed a non-linear relationship. For handgrip strength asymmetries of 4–5 kg, both all-cause mortality risk (HR: 1.06; 95 % CI: 1.01–1.10) and cardiovascular mortality risk (HR: 1.15; 95 % CI: 1.07–1.24) increased significantly. A more pronounced increase was observed from 10 kg of asymmetry, with a 32 % increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.32; 95 % CI: 1.22–1.43) and a 39 % increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.39; 95 % CI: 1.22–1.59). For asymmetries ≥15 kg, the risk of all-cause mortality increased by 39 % (HR: 1.39; 95 % CI: 1.19–1.61) and by 58 % for cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.58; 95 % CI: 1.24–2.02). Conclusions: even minor handgrip strength asymmetry is significantly linked to higher mortality. This finding suggests that handgrip strength asymmetry may have potential clinical relevance as an additional marker for mortality risk assessment, though further research is needed to evaluate its discriminative value beyond established risk factors.