Association between change in handgrip strength and cognitive function in Korean adults: a longitudinal panel study

Abstract

Background Muscular function, such as handgrip strength, has been suggested as an associated factor for cognitive impairment. This study investigated the association between temporal change in handgrip strength and cognitive function using longitudinal, nationwide data from Korean older adults. Methods Our study used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). The analysis covered 6696 participants who had taken the handgrip strength test and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) from 2006 to 2018. We adopted general estimating equations to assess the temporal effect of handgrip strength change on cognitive function. Results After adjusting for covariates, we observed an association between handgrip strength and low MMSE scores (β = − 0.3142 in men, β = − 0.2685 in women). Handgrip strength as a continuous variable was positively correlated with MMSE scores after adjustment (β = 0.0293 in men, β = 0.0347 in women). The group with decreased handgrip strength over time also showed greater odds for mild cognitive impairment (OR = 1.23, 95%CI = 1.05–1.27 in men, OR = 1.15, 95%CI = 1.05–1.27 in women) and dementia (OR = 1.393, 95%CI = 1.18–1.65 in men, OR = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.08–1.32 in women). Conclusions This study identified the relationship between handgrip strength change and cognitive function among South Korean adults. According to our large, longitudinal sample, decreasing handgrip strength was associated with decline in cognitive function.

Relationship between handgrip strength, depression and cognitive functioning among older adults: Evidence from longitudinal ageing study in India

“…73 A shred of literature identified that HGS is related to several health conditions. 70,[74][75][76] Our findings are similar to the results from previous studies suggesting that the presence of common mechanisms shared by muscle loss and cognitive declines such as chronic conditions and physical activity were potential risk factors that precede future cognitive dysfunction and weaker HGS. 69,70 Limiting physical activity reflects on HGS, resulting in reduced cognitive function of older individuals.…”

“…Our findings are similar to the results from previous studies suggesting that the presence of common mechanisms shared by muscle loss and cognitive declines such as chronic conditions and physical activity were potential risk factors that precede future cognitive dysfunction and weaker HGS 69,70 . Limiting physical activity reflects on HGS, resulting in reduced cognitive function of older individuals 75 . The incidence of physical frailty could be another explanation for the relationship between HGS and cognitive impairment 22,74 .…”

“…The incidence of physical frailty could be another explanation for the relationship between HGS and cognitive impairment 22,74 . Physical frailty, including underweight, weakness, weaker HGS, shorter‐length, slower walking speed, low participation in physical activity and poor performance on the chair stand test were associated with cognitive decline 74,75,77 . Thus, the findings suggest that future studies are warranted on the contribution of HGS in physical frailty components and their association with mental health outcomes.…”

“…69,70 Limiting physical activity reflects on HGS, resulting in reduced cognitive function of older individuals. 75 The incidence of physical frailty could be another explanation for the relationship between HGS and cognitive impairment. 22,74 Physical frailty, including underweight, weakness, weaker HGS, shorter-length, slower walking speed, low participation in physical activity and poor performance on the chair stand test were associated with cognitive decline.…”

Handgrip strength but not SARC-F score predicts cognitive impairment in older adults with multimorbidity in primary care: a cohort study

“…However, the SARC-F score may not have the same predictive value for subsequent cognitive function decline compared with handgrip strength dynamometry. Longitudinal associations have been found between handgrip strength and cognitive functioning decline in previous studies [ 28 – 30 ], and our results showed that lower handgrip strength at baseline was associated with subsequent development of cognitive impairment in 1 year. We did not find a similar longitudinal association between the baseline SARC-F score and cognitive impairment at follow-up.…”