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Results for “Hand Strength”

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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Hand grip strength: an indicator of nutritional state and the mix of postoperative complications in patients with oral and maxillofacial cancers.

The aim of the study was to assess the reliability of hand grip strength as an indicator of nutritional state, and to see if it was of any value in the prediction of postoperative complications. One-hundred and twenty-seven patients who presented with oral and maxillofacial cancer were studied for measurement of hand grip strength, mid-arm muscle circumference, and creatinine-height index. Hand grip strength correlated well with mid-arm muscle circumference and creatinine-height index. Patients whose hand grip strength was < 85% of the control value developed significantly more postoperative complications than those in whom it was 85% or more (15/31 (48%) compared with 12/65 (18%), P = 0.004). In conclusion, hand grip strength is not only a useful, non-invasive indicator of skeletal muscle mass, but may also be of use in predicting postoperative complications.

Anthropometry↗

PubMed1999

Midlife hand grip strength as a predictor of old age disability.

CONTEXT: Poor muscle strength, functional limitations, and disability often coexist, but whether muscle strength during midlife predicts old age functional ability is not known. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hand grip strength measured during midlife predicts old age functional limitations and disability in initially healthy men. DESIGN AND SETTING: A 25-year prospective cohort study, the Honolulu Heart Program, which began in 1965 among Japanese-American men living on Oahu, Hawaii. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 608945- to 68-year-old men who were healthy at baseline and whose maximal hand grip strength was measured from 1965 through 1970. Altogether, 2259 men died over the follow-up period and 3218 survivors participated in the disability assessment in 1991 through 1993. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Functional limitations including slow customary walking speed (< or =0.4 m/s) and inability to rise from a seated position without using the arms, and multiple self-reported upper extremity, mobility, and self-care disability outcomes. RESULTS: After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, risk of functional limitations and disability 25 years later increased as baseline hand grip strength, divided into tertiles, declined. The odds ratio (OR) of walking speed of 0.4 m/s or slower was 2.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76-4.67) in those in the lowest third and 1.79 (95% CI, 1.14-2.81) in the middle third of grip strength vs those in the highest third. The risk of self-care disability was more than 2 times greater in the lowest vs the highest grip strength tertile. Adding chronic conditions identified at follow-up to the models predicting disability reduced the ORs related to grip strength only minimally. CONCLUSIONS: Among healthy 45- to 68-year-old men, hand grip strength was highly predictive of functional limitations and disability 25 years later. Good muscle strength in midlife may protect people from old age disability by providing a greater safety margin above the threshold of disability.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Asymmetry in hand grip strength and fatigue in low- and high-hostile men.

The present study examined the relationship between hostility level and cerebral hemispheric motor functioning of 70 left-cerebral dominant men. Using the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, the subject group was divided into thirds: One-third (N = 23) were classified as low-hostile, one-third (N = 23) were classified as high-hostile, and the remainder (N = 24) were excluded from analysis. A hand dynamometer was used to assess hand grip strength, perseveration, and fatigue, as measures of hemispheric motor functioning. Results yielded a hand-by-hostility group interaction, which indicated that high-hostile men evidenced significantly less hand grip strength at the right hand and significantly greater hand grip strength at the left hand relative to low-hostile men. These results suggest that high-hostile men may experience relatively greater right-cerebral arousal relative to their low-hostile counterparts. In other results, both groups showed greater perseveration at the left hand than at the right hand. Both groups also showed significant fatigue across trials at both hands. Analysis also revealed a hand-by-trial interaction, indicating that the right hand fatigued more quickly than the left hand across trials. Resistance to fatigue at the left hand and overestimation or relative imprecision in motor movement at the left hand are discussed in terms of arousal theory. These results and others are cited as contributing inroads into distinguishing between the emotional problems of depression, anxiety, and hostility.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Improvement in hand grip strength in normal volunteers and rheumatoid arthritis patients following yoga training.

The present study aimed at assessing the effects of a set of yoga practices on normal adults (n = 37), children (n = 86), and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 20). An equal number of normal adults, children, and patients with rheumatoid arthritis who did not practice yoga were studied under each category, forming respective control groups. Yoga and control group subjects were assessed at baseline and after varying intervals, as follows, adults after 30 days, children after 10 days and patients after 15 days, based on the duration of the yoga program, which they attended, which was already fixed. Hand grip strength of both hands, measured with a grip dynamometer, increased in normal adults and children, and in rheumatoid arthritis patients, following yoga, but not in the corresponding control groups, showing no re-test effect. Adult female volunteers and patients showed a greater percentage improvement than corresponding adult males. This gender-based difference was not observed in children. Hence yoga practice improves hand grip strength in normal persons and in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, though the magnitude of improvement varies with factors such as gender and age.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Hand grip strength in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to compare hand grip strength and pinch power, which are important parameters of hand function, in 76 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (mean age: 50.11+/-7.6) with 47 non-diabetic control subjects (mean age: 46.93+/-10.2). METHODS: Grip strength was assessed with a Jamar dynamometer and pinch power was measured with a pinch gauge. Body composition was measured using a Tanita body composition analyzer. Mann-Whitney test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, T-test, Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis, Wilcoxon's signed rank test and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to determine the differences and relations between groups. A p-value <0.05 was taken as statistically significant. RESULTS: Hand grip strength test values were significantly lower in the diabetic group compared with the control group. Key pinch power value for the right hand was significantly lower in the diabetic group than in the control group whereas the left hand value was similar. CONCLUSION: Hand grip strength and key pinch power values were found to be lower in patients with T2DM than in age-matched control subjects. Hands, as well as feet, are also affected by diabetes and physicians should be aware of this.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Grip strength and hand dominance: challenging the 10% rule.

The purpose of this study was to test the utility of the 10% rule in hand rehabilitation. The 10% rule states that the dominant hand possesses a 10% greater grip strength than the nondominant hand. This rule has been used for many years to assist therapists in setting strength goals for patients with injured hands. The sample for this study consisted of 310 male and female students, faculty, and staff from a small, private liberal arts college located in Pennsylvania. Grip strength was measured with a factory-calibrated Jamar dynamometer. Results showed an overall 10.74% grip strength difference between dominant and nondominant hands. This finding verified the 10% rule. However, when the data were separated into left-handed and right-handed subjects, a 12.72% difference for right-handed subjects and a -0.08% difference for left-handed subjects was found. In conclusion, this study showed that the 10% rule is valid for right-handed persons only; for left-handed persons, grip strength should be considered equivalent in both hands.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Relation between grip strength and hand bone mineral density in healthy women aged 30-70.

AIM OF STUDY: To determine the site-specific relationship between grip strength and hand bone mineral density (BMD) measured with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in healthy women. The correlation of hand BMD and BMD at axial sites has also been assessed. METHOD: Twenty-nine healthy housewives, aged 30-70, were included in the study. Women were grouped according to their menopausal status (12 premenopausal and 17 postmenopausal). Grip strength of the dominant hand was measured using a Jamar dynamometer. BMD of the antero-posterior spine, femoral neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle were measured with DXA. For the hand BMD measurements, the analysis software, which was modified from the software of small animals and developed for hand BMD measurements, was used. RESULTS: Hand BMD moderately correlated with grip strength in postmenopausal women. There was no significant correlation between grip strength and hand BMD in premenopausal women. Significant positive correlations were determined between the hand BMD and BMD at axial sites. CONCLUSION: Grip strength may be an independent indicator of hand BMD in postmenopausal women, and also a site-specific relationship. Hand BMD measurements may indirectly reflect the BMD of axial sites especially in postmenopausal women.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed1987

Hand function in the elderly: relation to osteoarthritis.

Hand function and osteoarthritis (OA) were assessed in 32 subjects, over 60-years-old. The Smith Hand Function Test bore a relation to age, coordination and hand strength but not to the degree of OA. Hand strength also was not related to OA. Subjective hand disability, measured with the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire, correlated with radiographic OA and joint tenderness as well as with sex and hand strength. OA does not contribute significantly to the objective decline in hand function in the elderly but may contribute to a subjective sense of functional limitation.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Validity of the Dexter Evaluation System's Jamar dynamometer attachment for assessment of hand grip strength in a normal population.

There are several instruments available to measure grip strength, but some instruments are costly, time-consuming to use, or have questionable reliability. The purpose of this study is to examine the concurrent validity of the Dexter Evaluation System with Jamar dynamometer attachment (Dexter) compared with the reference-based criterion of the Jamar adjustable hand dynamometer (Jamar) for measurement of maximal hand grip strength among normal subjects. Sixty-two subjects between the ages of 20 and 50 years, who had no history of hand, arm, shoulder, or neck injuries, were tested with the Jamar in the second handle position and, during the same visit, with the Dexter in the identical position. The Jamar was found to be highly reliable (ICC [3,1] = 0.98) and valid (ICC (2,K) = 0.99) for measuring hand grip strength. In this study, the Dexter was shown to be valid when compared to the Jamar dynamometer for measuring hand grip strength.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Effect of viewed color on hand-grip strength.

Published reports on the effects of viewed color on physical strength are compromised by failure to specify each of the three dimensions of the color stimuli used. The present study investigated the relationship between color and grip strength by independently measuring the effects of the three dimensions of color. 80 students with normal color vision were tested for hand-grip strength while viewing color-stimuli sets which differed only in hue, saturation, or lightness. A two-way analysis of variance with two repeated measures showed no significant difference in hand-grip strength with changes in any dimension of color. Formal equivalence testing indicated that these results were not due to low statistical power but rather to an actual similarity in grip strength across different viewing conditions. The findings give clear support to those studies that have found no relationship between viewed color and strength.

Color Perception↗

PubMed2001

A cross-sectional study of the association between Heberden's nodes, radiographic osteoarthritis of the hands, grip strength, disability and pain.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the associations between hand osteoarthritis (OA), pain and disability in males and females and to further validate the Australian/Canadian OA hand index (AUSCAN LK3.0). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of 522 subjects from 101 Tasmanian families (males N=174, females N=348). Hand OA was assessed by two observers using the Altman atlas for joint space narrowing and osteophytes at distal interphalangeal and first carpometacarpal joints as well as a score for Heberden's nodes based on hand photography. Hand pain and function were assessed by the AUSCAN LK3.0 and grip strength by dynamometry in both hands on two occasions. RESULTS: The prevalence of hand OA was high in this sample at 44-71% (depending on site). Pain and dysfunction increased with age while grip strength decreased (all P< 0.001). All three measures were markedly worse in women, even after taking the severity of arthritis into account. Hand OA explained 5.7-10% of the variation in function, grip strength and pain scores, even after adjustment for age and sex. Further adjustment suggested that the osteoarthritic associations with function and grip strength were largely mediated by pain. Severity of disease was more strongly associated with these scores than presence or absence. Lastly, the AUSCAN LK3.0 showed a comparable association to grip strength with structural damage providing further evidence of index validity. CONCLUSIONS: Hand OA at these two sites makes substantial contributions to hand function, strength and pain. The associations with function and strength measures appear mediated by pain. Gender differences in all three measures persist after adjustment for variation in age and OA severity indicating that factors apart from radiographic disease are responsible.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1996

Characteristics predicting incorrect metered-dose inhaler technique in older subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cognitive status, hand strength, and demographic variables are predictive of correct use of metered-dose inhalers by older subjects. METHODS: Clinic patients (n = 29) and healthy volunteers (n = 42) older than 50 years with no previous or limited metered-dose inhaler use were enrolled. After cognitive (Mini-Mental State Examination) and hand strength assessments, subjects received extensive instruction in proper metered-dose inhaler technique. Technique was independently assessed by two evaluators immediately after instruction and 1 week later. Correct technique was defined as (1) activating the canister in the first half of inhalation, (2) continuing to inhale slowly and deeply, and (3) holding breath at full inspiration (5 seconds). Data for the two subject groups were pooled for analyses. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 69.7 years. Forty subjects (56%) demonstrated correct metered-dose inhaler technique at 1 week. Logistic regression showed that hand strength measurement (odds ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 0.84), Mini-Mental State Examination score less than 24 (odds ratio, 3.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 12.4), and male gender (odds ratio, 5.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 23.5) were significant predictors of incorrect inhaler use. Correct use of the metered-dose inhaler was unrelated to age, education, or subject status. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should consider cognitive status and hand strength when metered-dose inhaler therapy is initiated for an older adult. Patients with cognitive impairment and hand strength deficits may require more extensive training, frequent follow-up, or alternative dosage forms.

Administration, Intranasal↗

PubMed1997

Assessment of nutritional status in CAPD patients: serum albumin is not a useful measure.

INTRODUCTION: In CAPD patients serum albumin is frequently used as an index of nutritional status, although it is recognized that hypoalbuminaemia may be caused by many factors. We have further examined the relationship between serum albumin and nutrition. METHODS: Nutritional status was assessed by biochemistry, anthropometry, mid-arm muscle circumference, muscle strength (hand grip and back), and lean body mass (from anthropometry, creatinine kinetics and bioimpedance) in a group of 76 stable CAPD patients. Correlations between biochemical and nutritional parameters were sought and data were compared between patient groups defined by serum albumin (> or = 37 vs < 37 g/l on two occasions 2 months apart) and separately according to subjective global assessment score (normal nutrition, A vs mild to moderate, B, and severe, C, malnutrition). RESULTS: In patients with a low SGA score, actual body weight, body mass index, mid-arm muscle circumference, lean body mass, subscapular skinfold thickness, hand grip strength (males and females) and iliac and triceps skinfold thicknesses and back strength (females only) were all significantly less than in patients with a normal SGA score. In contrast, none of these variables differed in either gender when patients were compared according to serum albumin. Serum albumin was correlated with serum creatinine (r = 0.45, P = 0.01), daily urine protein excretion (r = -0.42, P = 0.02) and uncorrected weekly creatinine clearance (r = -0.39) in females, but not with any index of body composition in either gender. CONCLUSION: Whilst SGA identified a patient group with significantly abnormal body mass, muscle mass and muscle strength, serum albumin did not. Serum albumin is not a useful marker of malnutrition in stable patients on CAPD.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1982

Reliability and validity of American Medical Association's guide to ratings of permanent impairment.

We examined the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment rating schedule to determine whether this guide provided a reliable and valid assessment of hand impairment. A sample of 118 patients with permanent hand impairment was assessed using the guide. In addition, each patient underwent tests of finger dexterity, hand strength, hand-eye coordination, and the rate of manipulation. The reliability, based on the correlation between the two raters, was 0.75. For the injured hand, psychomotor test scores were highly correlated with the rating of permanent impairment in all cases. These differences were statistically significant for approximately two thirds of the cases. The guide's ratings showed both substantial reliability and accuracy with the various tests of hand function.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Age differences in hemispheric activation to sensory condition.

The effects of combinations of bright or dim light and noise levels on hand strength, fatigue, motor perseveration, and tapping rate were evaluated in 13 undergraduate and 13 elderly females. Increments in the intensity of sensory conditions produced opposite effects on grip strength at the left, as opposed to the right hand. Reliable asymmetry in hand strength (right > left) was observed in bright but not dim lighting in the younger group. In the elderly group, the extent of asymmetrical hand strength was related to the combination of light and noise intensity. Data suggest that increments in sensory conditions may differentially activate the cerebral hemispheres of the elderly and younger groups affecting grip strength. Results are discussed in relation to the hemiaging hypothesis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1980

Distribution and changes in strength of hand preference of cynomolgus monkeys.

Monkeys were observed for hand preference during simple reaching for food. The position of the animal relative to the food had only a slight influence upon the strength of hand preference. With repeated reaching, the strength of preference for the preferred hand tended to increase. The hand preferred on the first reach was predictive of that preferred over the entire series of 600 reaches in a significant proportion of individuals. This was not true of the animals presumed to be youngest and suggests that past experimental or developmental factors influence the hand preference displayed in later circumstances.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Relative influence of physical activity, muscle mass and strength on bone density.

In a population-based sample of 348 men (age 22-90 years) and 351 women (age 21-93 years), we evaluated the relationship of bone density assessed at a variety of skeletal sites by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) with various muscle mass estimates obtained also from the DXA scan and with physical activity by interview and strength assessed both subjectively and objectively. All these parameters declined with age as judged from these cross-sectional data. All estimates of total skeletal muscle mass were strongly correlated with bone density at different skeletal sites. Muscle mass, in turn, was correlated with physical activity and hand strength. In multivariate models including these variables, muscle mass was the strongest determinant of bone density, accounting for 6-53% (mean 27%) of the variance at the different skeletal sites. Physical activity (and/or a physical activity x age interaction) was an independent predictor of bone mass in 48% of the site-specific models and accounted for 0.03-39% (mean 10%) of the variance, while hand strength (and/or a hand strength x age interaction) accounted for up to 4% (mean 1%) of the variance as an independent predictor of bone density in a third of the models. Although these variables together accounted for a large proportion of the variance in bone density, other potential predictors were not assessed in these analyses. The dramatic decline in physical activity over life seemed unable to completely explain the age-related loss of bone mass, and additional research is needed to determine whether the relationship of muscle mass with bone density is a direct one or due instead to other factors such as circulating hormone levels.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2002

Hand grip strength: a phenotype suitable for identifying genetic variants affecting mid- and late-life physical functioning.

Physical functioning late in life has been shown to be affected by genetic factors. Only a few genetic variants have been suggested to be associated with physical functioning, and this only in selected populations (e.g., young healthy males and elite athletes). Declining physical functioning late in life is a major problem in terms of prevalence, morbidity, functional limitations, and quality of life. It is therefore of interest to find a phenotype reflecting physical functioning which has a relatively high heritability and which can be measured in large samples. Hand grip strength is known to be associated with muscular functioning in other muscle groups and with activities of daily living (ADL) functioning, and it predicts incident disability. We studied 1,757 Danish twin pairs aged 45-96 years, and found that this phenotype has a heritability of 52% (95% confidence interval (CI), 48-55%). A powerful design to detect genes associated with a phenotype is obtained using the extreme discordant and concordant sib pairs, of whom 28 and 77 dizygotic twin pairs, respectively, were found in this study. Hence grip strength is a suitable phenotype for identifying genetic variants of importance to mid- and late-life physical functioning.

Activities of Daily Living↗