Grip strength differences in middle-aged and older adults and individuals with stroke

BACKGROUND: How the natural deterioration of aging, sex difference, and pathological effect of stroke affect the prediction of hand strength is still unknown.AIM: This study aimed to compare and predict grip strength in both hands between normal controls (NCs) and stroke patients.DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional study.SETTING: Two urban hospitals and the community.POPULATION: A total of 160 participants aged from 40 to 80 (80 NCs and stroke patients) were recruited. METHODS: The Jamar & REG; Plus+ Digital Hand Dynamometer was used to measure the grip strength. Stroke participants were additionally as-sessed by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Modified Ashworth Scale.RESULTS: The linear regression models of the grip strength in both right and left hands were good fits (the adjusted R2 of 0.680-0.751) between NCs and stroke patients with either the right dominant or left non-dominant hand affected. Group (NCs versus stroke), sex, and age were se-quentially the first three statistically significant predictors in the grip strength of both hands between NCs and stroke patients with either the right dominant or left non-dominant hand affected.CONCLUSIONS: The pathological, sex, and age effects play complementary roles in predicting the grip strength in middle-aged and older adults between NCs and stroke patients.CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: In clinical practice, the recovery of the grip strength in stroke patients should take pathological, sex, and age effects together with the right dominant or left non-dominant hand affected into consideration, rather than merely comparing the differ-ences in the grip strength of both right and left hands as a reference.