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. 2006 Aug;61(8):859-65.
doi: 10.1093/gerona/61.8.859.

Handgrip strength and cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans

Ana Alfaro-Acha  1 , Soham Al Snih, Mukaila A Raji, Yong-Fang Kuo, Kyriakos S Markides, Kenneth J Ottenbacher
Affiliations

Handgrip strength and cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans

Ana Alfaro-Acha et al. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2006 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Cognitive decline and dementia are associated with disability and premature death in old age. We examined whether low handgrip strength predicts subsequent cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans.

Methods: We worked with a 7-year prospective cohort of 2160 noninstitutionalized Mexican Americans aged 65 years or older from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE) who had a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score > or = 21 at baseline. Measures included: (i) sociodemographic factors (age, gender, and education), handgrip strength, and near and distant visual impairment from baseline interview; and (ii) MMSE, body mass index (BMI), and medical conditions (stroke, heart attack, diabetes, depression, and hypertension) from four waves of data collection.

Results: Using general linear mixed models, we found a significant trend with scores in the lowest quartile of handgrip strength at baseline to be associated with lower MMSE scores over time (estimate = -1.28, standard error = 0.16; p <.0001). There was a significant handgrip Strength-by-Time interaction with MMSE scores. Participants in the lowest handgrip strength quartile had a greater cognitive decline over time (estimate = -0.26, standard error = 0.07; p <.001) than did those participants in the highest quartile. This association remained statistically significant after controlling for potential confounding factors.

Conclusion: Older Mexican Americans with reduced handgrip strength at baseline demonstrated a statistically significant decline in cognitive function over a 7-year period. By contrast, participants in the highest handgrip strength quartile maintained a higher level of cognitive function.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Unadjusted (A) and adjusted (B) means distributions of MMSE score over a 7-year period by handgrip strength quartiles at baseline in men.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Unadjusted (A) and adjusted (B) means distributions of MMSE score over a 7-year period by handgrip strength quartiles at baseline in women.
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