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Low airflow and grip strength linked to disability and death

Adults with persistently low airflow and low, declining grip strength had 3.49 times the odds of death compared with those with very high readings.

Paper by Yiwen Hu, Yao Zhang, Yuan Ren, Show 2 more authorsHui Zhao
Figure 1. Study flow and outcome-specific analytic samples.
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Figure 1. Study flow and outcome-specific analytic samples.Study flow and outcome-specific analytic samples.Hu et al.
Preprint: cohort study of Chinese adults aged 45 years or older, against very high PEF–very high grip groupPopulations

11,630 participants

Limit: Early or undiagnosed disease may influence both functional trajectories and subsequent disability or death

Paper
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An observational cohort study analysed 11,630 Chinese adults aged 45 or older with paired breathing and grip measurements from at least two assessments in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Researchers identified five joint patterns of peak expiratory flow—the fastest rate of blowing air out—and handgrip strength.

Compared with participants with very high readings on both measures, those with persistently low airflow and low, declining grip strength had higher adjusted odds of new disability and frailty in 2018. Their odds were 2.24 times as high for disability affecting basic daily activities, 1.86 times as high for disability affecting more complex daily tasks, and 2.29 times as high for frailty, a state of reduced resilience to health problems. They also had higher odds of death between 2015 and 2018.

Why it matters

The authors suggested that tracking breathing performance and muscle strength together may help assess risks to independence and survival in middle-aged and older adults.

Caveats

This observational study cannot establish cause and effect, and its findings concern Chinese adults aged 45 or older. The preprint is not yet peer-reviewed; the authors said measurements needed appropriate adjustment for sex and validation in other populations before clinical use.

From the paper

Participants

The final trajectory sample included 11,630 participants (Fig. 1).

Methods, 3.1 Study population and identification of joint trajectories

Result

Compared with the very high PEF–very high grip group, the average PEF–average grip declining group had higher odds of incident ADL disability (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.09–2.44), IADL disability (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.00–2.10), and any ADL/IADL disability (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.02–2.04).

Results, 3.5 Joint trajectories and incident disability

Quoted word for word from the full text on researchsquare.com.

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