title: Comparison of Handgrip and Leg Extension Strength in Predicting Slow Gait Speed in Older Adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the relative predictive power of handgrip and leg extension strength in predicting slow walking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Report of correlative analysis from two epidemiological cohort studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Foundation of the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men and women aged 67 to 93 (N=6,766).
  
  
  METHODS
  Leg strength, handgrip strength, and gait speed were measured. Strength cutpoints associated with slow gait speed were developed using classification and regression tree analyses and compared using ordinary least squares regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cutpoints of lower extremity strength associated with slow gait speed were 154.6 N-m in men and 89.9 N-m in women for isometric leg extension strength and 94.5 N-m in men and 62.3 N-m in women for isokinetic leg extension strength. Weakness defined according to handgrip strength (odds ratios (OR)=1.99 to 4.33, c-statistics=0.53 to 0.67) or leg strength (ORs=2.52 to 5.77; c-statistics=0.61 to 0.66) was strongly related to odds of slow gait speed. Lower extremity strength contributed 1% to 16% of the variance and handgrip strength contributed 3% to 17% of the variance in the prediction of gait speed depending on sex and mode of strength assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Muscle weakness of the leg extensors and forearm flexors is related to slow gait speed. Leg extension strength is only a slightly better predictor of slow gait speed. Thus, handgrip and leg extension strength appear to be suitable for screening for muscle weakness in older adults.
authors.affiliation: University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.|University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Maren S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fragala
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Dawn E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Alley
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Michelle D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Shardell
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Tamara B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Hebrew Senior Life Institute for Aging Research, Boston, Massachusetts.|School of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.affiliation: Hebrew Senior Life Institute for Aging Research, Boston, Massachusetts.|School of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Douglas P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Kiel
authors.affiliation: California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Peggy M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Cawthon
authors.affiliation: College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Thuy-Tien L
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Dam
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrucci
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Jack M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guralnik
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kritchevsky
authors.affiliation: Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Vassileva
authors.affiliation: University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Vilmunder
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gudnason
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland.
authors.forename: Gudny
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eiriksdottir
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koster
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siggeirsdottir
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satterfield
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Studenski
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kenny
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005121:Extremities / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: lower extremity function; sarcopenia; walking speed