41 * GRIP STRENGTH ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE: NORMATIVE DATA FROM TWELVE BRITISH STUDIES

Abstract

Introduction: Epidemiological studies have shown that weaker grip strength in later life is associated with disability, morbidity and mortality. Grip strength is a key component of the sarcopenia and frailty phenotypes and yet it is unclear how individual measurements should be interpreted. Using data from general population studies in Great Britain, our objective was to produce cross-sectional centile values for grip strength across the life course. Methods: We combined 60,803 observations from 49,964 participants (26,687 female) of 12 general population studies in Great Britain. We produced centile curves for ages 4 to 90 and investigated the prevalence of weak grip, defined as strength at least 2.5 SDs below the gender-specific peak mean. All studies had received relevant ethical approval. Results: Our results suggested three overall periods: an increase to peak in early adult life, maintenance through to midlife and decline from midlife onwards. Males were on average 1.7 times stronger than females from age 25 onwards: males' peak median grip was 51kg between ages 29 and 39, compared to 31kg in females between ages 26 and 42. Sensitivity analyses suggested our findings were robust to differences in dynamometer type and measurement position. Weak grip strength increased sharply with age, reaching a prevalence of 23% in males and 27% in females by age 80.