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Results for “Muscle Strength”

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PubMed2002

Body composition of 80-years old men and women and its relation to muscle strength, physical activity and functional ability.

OBJECTIVE: To measure body composition and analyse the relation to muscle strength, physical activity and functional ability in healthy, old subjects, and to relate the results to an optimal BMI level for the elderly. SETTING: Subjects aged 80 years living at home from the 1914-population in Glostrup, Denmark. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: 121 men and 113 women had their height and weight measured. Body fat mass and fat-free mass were assessed by bioelectrical impedance. Muscle strength was measured as handgrip, elbow flexion, knee extension, body flexion and body extension. Physical activity was self reported and functional ability was assessed by the Physical Performance Test (PPT) and self reported mobility including information about tiredness and help. RESULTS: After dividing BMI into three groups: BMI < 24, BMI 24-29 and BMI > 29 no relationship was seen between a BMI interval of 24-29 kg/m2, and physical activity and functional ability. BMI was related to body fat mass, and FFM was related to muscle strength. Muscle strength was related to mobility and PPT. Mobility and PPT were mutually related and were related to physical activity. CONCLUSION: Our cross sectional study did not support newly proposed guidelines for the elderly of an optimal BMI interval of 24-29 kg/m2. We found relations between body composition, muscle strength, physical activity and functional ability.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1995

Increased muscle strength in paralyzed patients after spinal cord injury: effect of beta-2 adrenergic agonist.

The administration of beta-2 adrenergic agonists in experimental animals result in an increased strength of skeletal muscle. In this study, we evaluated whether a beta-2 adrenergic agonist, metaproterenol, had an effect on muscle size and strength in a group of patients with muscular atrophy following spinal cord injury. Ten male subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups and agreed to participate in a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and crossover study. Metaproterenol (80 mg/day), or placebo, was administered orally for a period of 4 weeks. Muscle strength was measured by a force transducer interfaced with a microcomputer. Muscle size was calculated and expressed as a cross-sectional area of upper arm and forearm using a formula. Metaproterenol induced a significant increase of muscle strength in both groups of subjects, compared with placebo (p < .001). Similarly, there was an increase in a muscle size in the forearm following the administration of metaproterenol. Our data indicate that beta-2 adrenergic agonists may improve both muscle strength and size in patients with muscular atrophy following spinal cord paralysis.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Bone mass and muscle strength in young female soccer players.

In this cross-sectional study, bone mass and muscle strength of the thigh were investigated in 51 female soccer players, age 16.3 +/- 0. 3 years, who had been playing soccer for 8.1 +/- 2.1 years and were at the time of the study in soccer training for 5.0 +/- 1.7 hours/week. They were compared with 41 nonactive females, age 16.2 +/- 1.3 years. The groups were matched according to age, weight, and height. Areal bone mineral density (BMD) was measured of the total body, head, lumbar spine, femoral neck, Ward's triangle, and the greater trochanter using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Isokinetic muscle strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Compared with the nonactives, the soccer players had significantly higher BMD of the total body (2.7%), lumbar spine (6.1%), the dominant and nondominant hip (all sites). The largest differences were found in the greater trochanter on both sides (dominant, 16.5%, nondominant, 14.8%). The soccer players had significantly higher concentric and eccentric peak torque of the thigh muscles. In the soccer group, there was only a positive association between thigh muscle strength and BMD of the adjacent hip, and in the nonactive group there were several positive associations between muscle strength and BMD. However, when adjusting for the variation in weight and height all these associations became nonsignificant. Using multiple linear regression, the type of activity (soccer player, nonactive) independently predicted BMD of all dominant hip sites (beta = 0.32-0.48, P < 0.01). No other variable was found to independently predict BMD of any site. In the younger subjects (</=16 years) only BMD of the greater trochanter was significantly higher in the soccer players. In the older subjects (>16 years) the soccer players had significantly higher BMD in all measured sites except for the nonweight-bearing head. The differences in muscle strength between soccer players and nonactives were already seen in the young age group. In conclusion, girls who train and play soccer in adolescence have a higher bone mass in the hip and lumbar spine, and a higher muscle strength of the thigh compared with nonactive controls, indicating a site-specific skeletal response of weight-bearing and impact-loadng acting on the skeleton. The differences in bone mass were already apparent in early adolescence, but became more pronounced in late adolescence, probably explained by a longer exposure to soccer training with time. Our results also indicate that muscle strength in itself might not be of decisive importance for bone mass in the hip of adolescent females.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed1996

Quantification of muscle strength in recessive myotonia congenita.

In order to quantify muscle strength in recessive myotonia congenita (MC) the peak and average peak torques (PT and APT, respectively) of knee flexion and extension of 19 MC patients were measured at speeds of 60 degrees/s and 200 degrees/s. Muscle endurance was measured at a speed of 200 degrees/s. No differences were found between the patient and control groups for PT and APT values for flexion at the high speed, nor were there any differences between the patients and the controls for PT and APT measured at the low speed for knee flexion and extension or muscle endurance at the high speed. However, PT and APT values of the patients for extension at the high speed, 100 +/- 41 Nm (mean +/- SD) and 95 +/- 39, were significantly lower than those of the controls, 129 +/- 43 and 124 +/- 42, respectively. There was no correlation between muscle strength or endurance and disease severity. The muscle strength of the patient group was diminished (p < 0.0001) during the beginning of the measurement at the high speed. The results suggest that after myotonic inhibition subsides the muscle strength of MC patients ranges within normal limits except in rapid and powerful motor activities.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

[Skeletal and respiratory muscle strength in chronic heart failure].

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate limb and respiratory muscle strength in chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Our study population consisted of 45 male CHF patients, 25 in NYHA Class II and 20 in NYHA Class III, and 22 male post-MI patients without left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF > 50%). All patients underwent assessment of respiratory muscle strength by maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressures, of handgrip force and peak torque developed during isokinetic Knee extension (EX) (quadriceps) and flexion (hamstring) at 120 degrees/sec. RESULTS: CHF patients showed a significant decrease in all limb and respiratory muscle strength compared to control patients. Moreover, NYHA Class III patients showed significantly reduced values of MIP, handgrip, and EX forces, as well as significantly reduced exercise tolerance in terms of METS (2.8 +/- 0.9 vs 4.4 +/- 1.2, p < .05) and anaerobic threshold level (9.4 +/- 3 vs 12.8 +/- 1.7 mlO2/Kg, p < .05), as compared to those patients in NYHA Class II, while no significant differences were observed in LVEF, cardiac index and pulmonary capillary wedge pressures. Weak, but significant (p < .05) were the correlations between limb muscle and respiratory muscle strength. No correlations were found between muscle force and hemodynamic parameters. Significant correlations (from p < .05 to p < .0001) were found among exercise tolerance and limb muscle strength, but not between exercise tolerance and respiratory muscle strength. In summary: 1) respiratory and skeletal muscle strength is impaired in CHF; 2) respiratory and limb muscle strength reductions are partially related to each other; 3) the degree of central hemodynamic impairment is not correlated with muscle force. Deconditioning could be a major determinant of skeletal but not respiratory muscle weakness. Other factors link limb and respiratory weakness in CHF.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Total hip arthroplasty: the relationship between posterolateral reconstruction, abductor muscle strength, and femoral offset.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between posterolateral reconstruction, abductor muscle strength, and femoral offset following total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: Of 28 patients (56 limbs) we assessed, 12 underwent posterolateral reconstruction (reconstruction group) and 16 did not (non-reconstruction group). Isometric abductor muscle strength was measured with a handheld dynamometer. Each patient's muscle strength was converted into a force to body weight ratio, and this ratio was used in the comparisons. RESULTS: The reconstruction group showed a higher value in abductor muscle strength than the non-reconstruction group (p<0.05). Significant correlation between abductor muscle strength and femoral offset was found in the reconstruction group (p=0.016; r=0.674). CONCLUSION: Posterolateral reconstruction and appropriate reconstruction of femoral offset following total hip arthroplasty are important to improve the abductor muscle strength.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Recovery of muscle strength after high tibial osteotomy.

To assess muscle strength after high tibial osteotomy (HTO) using percutaneous drilling, we prospectively evaluated the isometric and isokinetic muscle torque of the thigh before operation and after operation over time. We evaluated 27 joints of 26 patients with a mean age of 66 years. The muscle torque/weight ratio was seen to decrease, and the hamstrings/quadriceps (H/Q) ratio increased at 3 months after HTO; both ratios showed no significant difference at 6 months. Improved muscle strength appeared at isometric extensor of 50 degrees, not 80 degrees, and at slow isokinetic speeds of 30 degrees /s, not 90 degrees /s. There was no significant difference in terms of the age of patients regarding the recovery of muscle strength. We also compared patients with a varus angle of >/=5 degrees and those with a varus angle <5 degrees before the operation. In terms of extension, the group with varus angles <5 degrees showed a greater postoperative increase in isometric torque at 80 degrees flexion of the knee and isokinetic torque at 90 degrees /s than did the group with varus angles of >/=5 degrees.

Aged↗

PubMed1995

Muscle strength, symptom intensity, and exercise capacity in patients with cardiorespiratory disorders.

The contribution of muscle strength to symptom intensity and work capacity was examined in normal individuals and patients with cardiorespiratory disorders. Respiratory muscle strengths (maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures) and peripheral muscle strengths (leg extension, leg flexion, seated bench press, and seated row) were measured in 4,617 subjects referred for clinical exercise testing. Subjects then rated the intensity of leg effort, discomfort with breathing (dyspnea), and chest pain (Borg scale) during an incremental exercise task (100 kpm/min each minute) to capacity on a cycle ergometer. Subjects were classified into groups on the basis of pulmonary function, drug therapy for cardiac disorders, and the presence of chest pain during exercise with electrocardiographic changes indicative of myocardial ischemia. Respiratory and peripheral muscle strengths, normalized for differences in age, sex, and height, were significantly reduced in patients with cardiorespiratory disorders compared with normal individuals. Muscle strength was a significant contributor to symptom intensity and work capacity in both health and disease; a two-fold increase in muscle strength was associated with a 25 to 30% decrease in the intensity of both leg effort and dyspnea and a 1.4- to 1.6-fold increase in work capacity. These results emphasize the need for an integrative approach in the assessment and therapeutic management of exercise intolerance, which considers the contribution of muscle weakness to excessive symptoms and reduced work capacity, in addition to the contribution of ventilatory, gas exchange, and circulatory impairments.

Angina Pectoris↗

PubMed2002

Maximal isometric muscle strength of the cervical spine in healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the maximal isometric neck muscle strength in healthy Chinese volunteers, in six different directions, as measured by a Multi Cervical Rehabilitation Unit. DESIGN: A standardized cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: A university rehabilitation unit. SUBJECTS: Ninety-one healthy volunteers aged 20-84. METHODS: During the measurement the subject was instructed to do three consecutive steady contractions as hard as possible, with a 10-second rest in between each contraction and a 2-minute rest between different directions. The peak isometric strength for each of the six directions (flexion, extension, lateral flexions, protraction and retraction) was calculated. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in muscle strength between different age groups. Isometric muscle strength in the direction of right lateral flexion was significantly greater than that to the left in men (p = 0.030), but no difference was found in women (p = 0.297). Isometric strength in all directions in men was 1.2-1.7 times that in women (all p < 0.028). Correlations between physical measurements (height and weight) and strength values were all insignificant in both genders. CONCLUSION: Men have approximately 20-70% greater isometric neck muscle strength than women. Both men and women can maintain high levels of cervical muscle strength in six different directions up to their seventh decade. There is no significant correlation between physical measurements and isometric neck muscle strength.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

The influence of color and demand characteristics on muscle strength and affective ratings of the environment.

Demand characteristics may influence claims that the color pink inhibits muscle strength whereas blue increases muscle strength. In Experiment 1, undergraduates (N = 59; 30 women, 29 men) were told either that the experimenters thought pink would increase and blue decrease strength or that blue would increase muscle strength and pink decrease muscle strength. A hand dynamometer assessed grip strength as subjects stared at each of 8 differently colored panels. Results indicated that men viewing the pink or orange panels had higher grip strength under pink-strengthen than under pink-weaken instructions. The reverse relationship was found for men viewing a green panel. For women, the pink-weaken instructions resulted in a higher grip strength than did the pink-strengthen instructions, regardless of actual color present. In Experiment 2, women in a no-instruction control condition had lower grip strength than women given the pink-weaken instructions. For men, the control (no-instruction) condition resulted in higher grip strength than the pink-weaken condition. Results of both studies suggest that men followed overt demand characteristics but that women reacted with increased intensity to any suggestion that a stereotypically feminine pink is associated with weakness.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Muscle strength and fatigue during isokinetic exercise in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

PURPOSE: To compare muscle strength and muscle fatigue of the knee extensors and flexors in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and non-MS control subjects and to evaluate the reliability of muscle strength and muscle fatigue testing in these individuals. METHODS: Thirty individuals (13 women and 2 men for both MS and control groups), age (mean +/- SD) 38.8 +/- 10 for MS and 33.1 +/- 7.6 yr for controls, participated in this investigation. Peak torque was measured on two occasions separated by approximately 7 d at 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 degrees.s(-1) with 2 min of recovery between each bout. The nondominant leg was tested followed by the dominant leg after 10 min of recovery. Subjects then performed three bouts of 30 flexions and extensions of the dominant leg at 180 degrees.s(-1) with 1 min of recovery between bouts. RESULTS: The reliability of muscle torque was very high for individuals with MS (only 1 of 20 measurements with an ICC below 0.900). Total work was also highly reliable for MS, but the Fatigue Index (work during the last 15 contractions/work during the first 15 contractions) x 100 was not. Peak torque adjusted for age, body mass, and fat free mass (measured by whole body plethysmography; the Bod Pod; Life Measurement Instruments; Concord, CA) was significantly greater for controls than for MS for three of four lower body muscle groups tested. For the muscle fatigue test (3 bouts of 30 knee extensions and flexions at 180 degrees.s(-1)), the Fatigue Index was greater (less fatigue) for the knee extensors for controls than MS for the third bout. For flexion, the Fatigue Index was greater for controls than MS over the three bouts (group effect). Total work was significantly greater for controls than MS for the flexors (group effect) and approached significance for the extensors. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with MS were weaker than controls when data were adjusted for age, body mass, and fat free mass. This latter finding (force relative to age and fat free mass) suggests that there is a reduced ability to activate muscle mass in MS and/or the muscle mass of individuals with MS is of lower quality (i.e., reduced force/unit muscle mass) than controls.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Vital capacity, respiratory muscle strength, and pulmonary gas exchange during long-duration exposure to microgravity.

Extended exposure to microgravity (microG) is known to reduce strength in weight-bearing muscles and was also reported to reduce respiratory muscle strength. Short- duration exposure to microG reduces vital capacity (VC), a surrogate measure for respiratory muscle strength, for the first few days, with little change in O2 uptake, ventilation, or end-tidal partial pressures. Accordingly we measured VC, maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures, and indexes of pulmonary gas exchange in 10 normal subjects (9 men, 1 woman, 39-52 yr) who lived on the International Space Station for 130-196 days in a normoxic, normobaric atmosphere. Subjects were studied four times in the standing and supine postures preflight at sea level at 1 G, approximately monthly in microG, and multiple times postflight. VC in microG was essentially unchanged compared with preflight standing [5.28 +/- 0.08 liters (mean +/- SE), n = 187; 5.24 +/- 0.09, n = 117, respectively; P = 0.03] and considerably greater than that measured supine in 1G (4.96 +/- 0.10, n = 114, P < 0.001). There was a trend for VC to decrease after the first 2 mo of microG, but there were no changes postflight. Maximum respiratory pressures in microG were generally intermediate to those standing and supine in 1G, and importantly they showed no decrease with time spent in microG. O2 uptake and CO2 production were reduced (approximately 12%) in extended microG, but inhomogeneity in the lung was not different compared with short-duration exposure to microG. The results show that VC is essentially unchanged and respiratory muscle strength is maintained during extended exposure to microG, and metabolic rate is reduced.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Effects of muscle strength training and testosterone in frail elderly males.

PURPOSE: Determine the independent and combined effects of progressive resistance muscle strength training (PRMST) and testosterone on strength, muscle mass, and function in hypogonadal elderly male recuperative care patients. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2004, 71 subjects (mean age 78.2 +/- 6.4 yr, 86% white) were enrolled. After baseline one-repetition maximum (1RM) strength testing and then randomization to one of four treatment groups (low-resistance (20% of the 1RM) exercises and weekly injections of either 100 mg of testosterone enanthate or placebo or high-intensity PRMST (> or =80% 1RM) and weekly injections), each subject received training and injections for 12 wk. RESULTS: Ten subjects withdrew from the study before its completion. Based on intent-to-treat analyses, strength improved in all groups, but was greater with high-intensity PRMST compared with low-resistance exercise (e.g., leg press, (mean +/- SE), 28 +/- 4 vs 13 +/- 4%, P = 0.009). Although testosterone led to significantly greater increases in midthigh cross-sectional muscle area compared with placebo (7.9 +/- 1.3 vs 2.4 +/- 1.4%, P = 0.005), it produced only a nonsignificant trend toward greater strength gains (e.g., leg press 25 +/- 4 vs 16 +/- 4%, P = 0.144). Change in aggregate functional performance score (the sum of 4 functional performance test scores) did not differ between the four intervention groups nor with high-intensity PRMST compared with low-resistance exercise (7 +/- 5 vs 15 +/- 5%, P = 0.263). There was not a significant interaction between exercise and testosterone for any outcome. CONCLUSION: High-intensity PRMST is as safe and well tolerated as a similarly structured low-resistance exercise regimen for very frail elderly patients, but produces greater muscle strength improvements. The addition of testosterone leads to greater muscle size and a trend toward greater strength but did not produce a synergistic interaction with exercise. Neither intervention had a significant effect on functional performance.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Development of a position-specific index of muscle strength to be used in stroke evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a position-specific index of muscle strength for individuals with stroke. DESIGN: Cross-sectional design. SETTING: A major teaching hospital in a Canadian urban city. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-three patients with poststroke onset between 3 and 12 months. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The muscle strength of the lower-extremity muscles was tested bilaterally in multiple positions using hand-held dynamometry. RESULTS: A principal components analysis resulted in grouping the muscles of the affected and unaffected sides of the gravity related and gravity eliminated positions into 5 indices. The 5 indices were moderately to highly correlated (r2 range, .59-.81) with each other and so were combined into 1 global index. The gravity related muscle strength on the affected side was, on average, 85% of the unaffected side (range, 37%-157%); the gravity eliminated muscle strength of the affected side was, on average, 92% of the unaffected side (range, 53%-121%). CONCLUSIONS: This study resolves the methodologic issue of how to summarize multiple data points that relate to one construct, namely, strength of different muscle groups assessed in several positions.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Muscle strength before and mortality after a bone fracture in older people.

We studied whether muscle strength measured before a bone fracture predicts mortality following the fracture. The participants were a sub-cohort of 82 people of a total of 493 Evergreen project participants initially aged 75- and 80 years, who had participated in knee extension strength tests as part of the baseline examinations, and who subsequently suffered at least one bone fracture. Maximal isometric knee extension strength was measured at baseline using an adjustable dynamometer chair. Fracture surveillance was carried out from patient records for 5 years, and mortality surveillance from population register for 10 years after baseline examinations. Average time till a fracture occurred after the baseline was 878 days (SD 576). Subsequent to the fracture, 32 deaths occurred. Using gender-specific cut-offs, three equal distribution-based groups were formed. A gradient risk of mortality was found according to baseline strength. The crude mortality rate per 1000 person-months was 15.2 in the lowest 4.9 in the middle and 1.7 in the highest third of baseline knee extension strength. The adjusted relative risk (RR) of death was 4.40 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.40-13.80) in the lowest and 2.39 (95% CI 0.68-8.4) in the middle tertile vs the highest tertile of muscle strength. Poor muscle strength measured before a fracture occurred was a powerful predictor of increased mortality after the fracture. Poor muscle strength may be a good indicator of overall vulnerability and frailty in old age, and strength testing could be helpful in targeting older people for preventive interventions.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Physical activity compensates for increased mortality risk among older people with poor muscle strength.

The aim of the study was to determine whether habitual physical activity can compensate for the increased mortality risk among older people with poor muscle strength. Mortality was followed up for 10 years after laboratory examination in 558 community dwelling 75- and 80-year-old men and women. Maximal isometric strength of five muscle groups was measured and tertile cut-off points were used to categorize participants. Participants, who reported moderate physical activity for at least 4 h a week, were categorized as physically active and the others as sedentary. High muscle strength and physical activity both protected from mortality, but their effect was not additive. Within each muscle strength tertile, physically active people had a lower mortality risk than sedentary people, the effect being most pronounced among those with lower strength in all muscle groups. A high level of physical activity may thus compensate for the increased mortality associated with low muscle strength.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1995

Respiratory muscle strength in chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested that the respiratory muscles are weak in patients with heart failure, but the aetiology and clinical relevance of this weakness are unclear. In order to see if respiratory muscle weakness in this context is part of a more generalised myopathic process, respiratory and limb muscle strength were compared in patients with heart failure. The relation between respiratory muscle strength, breathlessness on exercise, and exercise capacity was also examined. METHODS: Twenty patients (three women) with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV heart failure of mean age 63 years were studied. Respiratory muscle strength was assessed using maximum inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures (MIP and MEP) and transdiaphragmatic pressure during sniffs (sniff PDI). These parameters were compared with cardiac output (indirect Fick) and with limb muscle strength as assessed by grip strength. The patients also performed two exercise tests during which they rated their breathlessness on a Borg scale. RESULTS: Mean (SD) cardiac index was 2.2 (0.4) l/min/m2. MIP and MEP were 66 (27) and 99 (29) cm H2O respectively. Sniff PDI was 103 (21) cm H2O and was positively correlated with grip strength and cardiac output (Spearman rank correlation coefficients 0.527 and 0.451, respectively). None of the indices of respiratory muscle strength were related to exercise time or breathlessness during exercise. CONCLUSIONS: The respiratory muscles are weak in patients with heart failure. This weakness reflects a more generalised myopathic process, possibly related to reduced cardiac output. However, respiratory muscle weakness does not appear to be an important factor in the aetiology of breathlessness on exercise.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Isokinetic muscle strength in long-term IDDM patients in relation to diabetic complications.

The isokinetic muscle strength in 56 IDDM patients with > 20 years of diabetes duration and in their individually sex-, age-, weight-, and height-matched control subjects was assessed. Peak torque of foot dorsal and plantar flexion and knee and wrist extension and flexion was measured. The neuropathic condition was assessed by a neurological disability score, a neuropathy symptom score, nerve conduction studies, and quantitative sensory examination. All results were summed to obtain a neuropathy rank-sum score for each patient. According to their renal albumin excretion, the patients were classified to have normo-, micro-, or macroalbuminuria. In addition, according to their retinal status, patients were classified as having no, simple, or proliferative retinopathy. The IDDM patients had a 21% reduction of muscle strength of both ankle dorsal (P < 1 x 10(-4)) and plantar flexors (P < 0.01), compared with control subjects. A 16% reduction of knee extensors (P < 0.005) and a 17% reduction of knee flexors (P < 0.01) was found. In contrast, muscle strength in wrist flexors and extensors was not significantly reduced (10 and 11%, respectively [NS]). In patients with the most severe weakness, muscle strength of the calf muscles was only 50% of the expected performance. Correlations were found between the neuropathy rank-sum score and the muscle strength of ankle dorsal (r = -0.66, P < 1 x 10(-7)) and plantar flexors (r = -0.51, P < 0.0005), knee extensors (r = -0.51, P < 0.0005) and flexors (r = -0.44, P < 0.005), and wrist flexors (r = -0.41, P < 0.005). No correlation was found for wrist extensors (r = 0). Neither were there any relationships between muscle strength at the ankle and knee and the degree of albuminuria or retinopathy. In conclusion, motor performance is substantially impaired in long-term IDDM patients, and the weakness is related to the presence of neuropathy but not to albuminuria or retinopathy per se.

Adult↗