title: New normative values for handgrip strength: results from the UK Biobank.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop normative values for right and left handgrip strength after stratification for confounders like gender, age, and height.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, descriptive.
  
  
  METHODS
  General population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 502,713 people living in the United Kingdom.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Handgrip strength was measured using a Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer, which is considered to be an accurate instrument to measure handgrip strength. In addition, self-reported chronic conditions and ethnic background were registered, and lung function was assessed using spirometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After exclusion of all individuals with missing data, a nonwhite ethnic background, the presence of 1 or more self-reported conditions, and/or an obstructive lung function (defined as FEV1/FVC <0.7), new normative values for right and left handgrip strength were derived from 224,830 and 224,852 individuals (54.2% women; age: 55.0 [8.0] years; height: 169.0 [9.2] cm; body mass index: 26.9 [4.4] kg/m(2)) with a nonobstructed spirometry (FEV1: 3.0 [0.8] L). Men were stronger than women. Moreover, significant associations were found between handgrip strength and height, and between handgrip strength and age. Finally, percentiles 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 95 were calculated for right and left handgrip strength, after stratification for gender, age, and height.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The UK Biobank dataset provided the opportunity to determine new normative values for handgrip strength in men and women aged 39 to 73 years. These normative values take into consideration age, height, and measurement side. Therefore, these new normative handgrip strength values are of broad clinical interest.
authors: Program Development Center, CIRO+, Center of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure, Horn, The Netherlands. Electronic address: martijnspruit@ciro-horn.nl.
authors: Martijn A
authors: MA
authors: Spruit
authors: Maurice J H
authors: MJ
authors: Sillen
authors: Miriam T J
authors: MT
authors: Groenen
authors: Emiel F M
authors: EF
authors: Wouters
authors: Frits M E
authors: FM
authors: Franssen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001827:Body Height; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013147:Spirometry; D006113:United Kingdom; D014797:Vital Capacity
keywords: Handgrip strength; UK Biobank; general population; normative values