Maximum handgrip strength test in long-lived elderly people from southeastern Brazil: definition of cutoff points

Abstract

Objective To define cut-off points for the values of the Maximum Handgrip Strength (MGS) test in long-lived elderly people. Method Cross-sectional study with a sample of long-lived elderly people, octogenarians and nonagenarians, healthy and functionally independent (robust group) and frail (fragile group). The MHS test was performed in triplicate, with the highest value obtained being considered. Sensitivity, specificity and cut-off values were calculated using the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC). The Brazilian cut-off points and those of the European Consensus on Sarcopenia were used for the comparison study. Results 121 elderly people were evaluated, with a mean age of 84.5±5.3 years, 65 (53.7%) female, 46 (38%) from the frail group and 75 (62%) from the robust group. Cut-off points for MHS of 27 kgf for men and 19 kgf for women were found. Sensitivity and specificity values for men’s cutoffs were 94.44 and 65.79, respectively. For woman, they were 85.71 and 67.57. Based on these cutoff points, 23 (38.3%) individuals from the robust group were classified as having competitive strength, and therefore with probable sarcopenia, while according to the Brazilian and European cutoff points, the number is 35 (44.3%) and 14 (33.3%). Conclusion The study defined cut-off points for the oldest-old population and showed that the cut-off points defined so far for the Brazilian elderly population were not adequate for the oldest-old.