Handgrip strength can predict CVD risk and survival in CAD, finds study

Written By : Medha Baranwal |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2020-09-14T10:15:00+05:30 | Updated On 14 Sept 2020 4:19 PM IST

Austria: Handgrip strength (HGS) can help in the prediction of cardiovascular events and overall survival in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, suggests a recent study in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Patients with established CAD are at high risk of mortality and cardiovascular events. HGS is a simple and validated technique to estimate skeletal muscular strength. The impact of HGS on the prognosis of CAD has not been studied yet. The study by Barbara Larcher, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria, and colleagues, therefore, addressed whether HGS is a predictor of overall mortality in patients with established CAD.

The researchers prospectively investigated a cohort of 691 patients with angiographically proven CAD. HGS was measured at baseline, and all-cause death, as well as cardiovascular events, was recorded over a period of up to 12 years.

Also Read: Handgrip strength may help identify people at high risk of type 2 diabetes

Key findings of the study include:

During a follow-up time of 9.2 ± 3.1 years, 31.3% (n = 216) of the study participants died.
27.8% (n = 192) suffered major cardiovascular events and 56.6% (n = 391) any cardiovascular event.
Cox proportional hazard model analysis showed a reduced mortality risk with higher HGS univariately (hazard ratio [HR] for each 5 kg increase in HGS 0.87, after adjustment for age and gender (HR 0.86 ), and after further adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors (HR 0.86).
High HGS was protective of major cardiovascular events as well as of total cardiovascular events (HRs in the fully adjusted model 0.86 and 0.89, respectively).

"Our findings demonstrate that HGS is an independent predictor (independent from classical cardiovascular risk factor) of overall survival and of cardiovascular events in patients with CAD," concluded the authors.

Also Read: Stress induced brain activation may lead to Angina in CAD patients: Study

The study, "Usefulness of Handgrip Strength to Predict Mortality in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease," is published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

DOI: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002914920304811

American Journal of CardiologyHandgrip strengthcoronary artery diseasecardiovascular events#survival

Source : American Journal of Cardiology

Medha Baranwal

MSc. Biotechnology

Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751