Grip strength linked to cancer risk, finds Study
Glasgow, UK: Expressing grips strength in its most simple unit (kg) may be helpful in predicting most cancer outcomes, states a recent study published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.
The study showed absolute handgrip strength (HGS) to be associated with the risk of several site-specific cancers and all-cause cancer. Relative HGS was shown to be more useful in the prediction of head, neck, and breast cancers.
Previous studies have shown reduced muscular strength measured by absolute grip strength to be linked with increased risk of some site-specific cancers. For predicting another disease, the ability of grip strength may be affected by whether it is expressed in absolute or relative terms but the evidence for cancer is
Reduced muscular strength, as measured by absolute grip strength, has been associated with an increased risk of some site-specific cancers. The ability of grip strength to predict other diseases may be affected by whether it is expressed in absolute or relative terms, but the evidence for cancer is insufficient. Solange Parra-Soto, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, and colleagues aimed to compare the associations of absolute and relative grip strength with all-cause and 15 site-specific cancers in a prospective cohort study using data from the UK Biobank.
The exposure variable was grip strength, in absolute form (kilograms) and relative to weight, body mass index (BMI), height, and body fat mass.
445 552 participants were included in the study, 53.8% of the participants were women, having a mean age of 56.3 years.
The study found the following:
- During a median of 8.8 years follow-up period, 48 886 (11.0%) patients were diagnosed with cancer.
- After adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, as well as multiple testing, absolute grip strength was inversely and linearly associated with endometrial [hazard ratio (HR): 0.74], gallbladder (HR: 0.81), liver (HR: 0.86), kidney (HR: 0.93), and breast (HR: 0.93), as well as all-cause cancer (HR: 0.97).
- Eight cancer sites were inversely associated with HGS relative to weight and BMI: endometrium, liver, gallbladder, kidney, esophagus, pancreas, colorectal, breast, and all-cause cancer.
- Compared with absolute grip strength, grip strength relative to body fat mass had better discriminatory power for head and neck and breast cancer.
- Grip strength relative to BMI was marginally better than absolute grip strength in predicting stomach cancer.
"Our findings showed that grip strength is associated with risk of several site-specific cancers and all-cause cancer," wrote the authors. "Head and neck and breast cancers might be better predicted by relative grip strength."
Reference:
Parra-Soto, S., Pell, J. P., Celis-Morales, C., and Ho, F. K. (2021) Absolute and relative grip strength as predictors of cancer: prospective cohort study of 445 552 participants in UK Biobank, Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, XXX, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12863
