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Initial level and rate of change in grip strength predict all-cause mortality in very old adults

Initial level and rate of change in grip strength predict all-cause mortality in very old adults
Initial level and rate of change in grip strength predict all-cause mortality in very old adults
Objective

to investigate the associations between initial level and rate of change in grip strength (GS) and all-cause mortality in very old adults (≥85 years) over a 9.6-year follow-up.


Methods

prospective mortality data from 845 participants in the Newcastle 85+ Study were analysed for survival in relation to GS (kg, baseline and 5-year mean change) using Cox proportional hazards models.


Results

during the follow-up, 636 (75.3%) participants died. Higher baseline GS was associated with a decreased risk of mortality in all participants [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.93–0.98, P < 0.001], men (HR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.99, P = 0.009) and women (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99, P = 0.007) after adjustment for health, lifestyle and anthropometric factors. Overall GS slope had a downward trajectory and was determined in 602 participants: 451 experienced constant decline (negative slope) and 151 had increasing GS (positive slope) over time. Men and women with a negative slope had a 16 and 33% increased risk of mortality, respectively, with every kg/year decline in GS (P ≤ 0.005), and participants with a positive slope had a 31% decreased risk of mortality (P = 0.03) irrespective of baseline GS and key covariates.


Conclusion

higher baseline GS and 5-year increase in GS were protective of mortality, whilst GS decline was associated with an increased risk of mortality in the very old over 9.6 years, especially in women. These results add to the biological and clinical importance of GS as a powerful predictor of long-term survival in late life.

0002-0729
970-976
Granic, Antoneta
68bdeb08-01a4-45a8-9b87-7a8728d4c3fa
Davies, Karen
d0ad60b3-7b1c-4d83-a637-2fc637b6b70b
Jagger, Carol
c5af5424-17fc-4372-8581-1fc8b18b0810
Dodds, Richard
2f7c0dea-4cd7-4f91-9fd2-a5ff20706870
Kirkwood, Thomas B.L.
75dbfdf3-a7f1-4f36-8851-89a036724acb
Sayer, A.A.
f4c60d4a-ae9c-4633-890f-598a717a61d4
Granic, Antoneta
68bdeb08-01a4-45a8-9b87-7a8728d4c3fa
Davies, Karen
d0ad60b3-7b1c-4d83-a637-2fc637b6b70b
Jagger, Carol
c5af5424-17fc-4372-8581-1fc8b18b0810
Dodds, Richard
2f7c0dea-4cd7-4f91-9fd2-a5ff20706870
Kirkwood, Thomas B.L.
75dbfdf3-a7f1-4f36-8851-89a036724acb
Sayer, A.A.
f4c60d4a-ae9c-4633-890f-598a717a61d4

Granic, Antoneta, Davies, Karen, Jagger, Carol, Dodds, Richard, Kirkwood, Thomas B.L. and Sayer, A.A. (2017) Initial level and rate of change in grip strength predict all-cause mortality in very old adults. Age and Ageing, 46 (6), 970-976. (doi:10.1093/ageing/afx087).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective

to investigate the associations between initial level and rate of change in grip strength (GS) and all-cause mortality in very old adults (≥85 years) over a 9.6-year follow-up.


Methods

prospective mortality data from 845 participants in the Newcastle 85+ Study were analysed for survival in relation to GS (kg, baseline and 5-year mean change) using Cox proportional hazards models.


Results

during the follow-up, 636 (75.3%) participants died. Higher baseline GS was associated with a decreased risk of mortality in all participants [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.93–0.98, P < 0.001], men (HR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.99, P = 0.009) and women (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99, P = 0.007) after adjustment for health, lifestyle and anthropometric factors. Overall GS slope had a downward trajectory and was determined in 602 participants: 451 experienced constant decline (negative slope) and 151 had increasing GS (positive slope) over time. Men and women with a negative slope had a 16 and 33% increased risk of mortality, respectively, with every kg/year decline in GS (P ≤ 0.005), and participants with a positive slope had a 31% decreased risk of mortality (P = 0.03) irrespective of baseline GS and key covariates.


Conclusion

higher baseline GS and 5-year increase in GS were protective of mortality, whilst GS decline was associated with an increased risk of mortality in the very old over 9.6 years, especially in women. These results add to the biological and clinical importance of GS as a powerful predictor of long-term survival in late life.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 11 May 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 25 May 2017
Published date: 1 November 2017

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 415747
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/415747
ISSN: 0002-0729
PURE UUID: 62fca337-f2d4-48b0-81dc-c8adfb42bbcb
ORCID for Richard Dodds: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4968-7678

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 Nov 2017 17:30
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 16:56

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Contributors

Author: Antoneta Granic
Author: Karen Davies
Author: Carol Jagger
Author: Richard Dodds ORCID iD
Author: Thomas B.L. Kirkwood
Author: A.A. Sayer

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