title: Grip strength in a cohort of older medical inpatients in Malaysia: a pilot study to describe the range, determinants and association with length of hospital stay.
abstract: Grip strength is a marker of sarcopenia, the age-related decline in muscle mass and function, and has been little researched in Asian populations. We aimed to describe the feasibility and acceptability of measuring grip strength in hospitalized, older people in Malaysia and to explore its range, determinants and association with length of stay. Patients admitted acutely to the geriatrics ward of a teaching hospital were consecutively recruited. Inability to consent or use the dynamometer led to exclusion. Maximum grip strength, anthropometric data, length of hospital stay, discharge destination, 3-point Barthel score, mini-mental state examination, falls history and number of co-morbidities and medications on admission were recorded. 80/153 (52%) eligible patients were recruited (52 women; age range 64-100 years). 9/153 (6%) refused to participate and 64/153 (42%) were excluded (34 too unwell, 24 unable to consent, 4 unable to use the dynamometer, 2 other reasons). 76/80 patients (95%) reported that they would undergo grip strength measurement again. Determinants were similar to those of Caucasian populations but grip strength values were lower. After adjustment for sex, age and height, stronger grip strength was associated with shorter length of stay [hazard ratio 1.05 (95% CI 1.00, 1.09; P=0.03)]. This is the first report of grip strength measurement in hospitalized older people in Malaysia. It was feasible, acceptable to participants and associated with length of stay. Further research is warranted to elucidate the normative range in different ethnic groups and explore its potential use in clinical practice in Malaysia.
authors.affiliation: Academic Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. vlk20@cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Keevil
authors.forename: Rizah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazzuin Razali
authors.forename: Ai-Vyrn
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jameson
authors.forename: Avan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aihie Sayer
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012016:Reference Values