Thigh circumference and handgrip strength are significantly associated with all-cause mortality: findings from a study on Japanese community-dwelling persons

Purpose In addition to playing a critical role in cardiovascular health, muscle mass and strength independently impact aging-related health outcomes in adults. There are limited predictive data for all-cause mortality, particularly for community-dwelling persons in Japan. This study examined whether handgrip strength (HGS) and thigh circumference are related to survival prognosis based on a 6-year follow-up period. Methods Participants were 787 men (aged 69 +/- 11 years) and 963 women (aged 69 +/- 9 years) who took part in a Nomura cohort study conducted in 2014 and who continued with follow-ups for the subsequent 6 years (follow-up rate: 95.5%). We obtained adjusted relative hazards of all-cause mortality from the basic resident register. The data were subjected to a Cox regression with age as the time variable and gender, age, anthropometric index, smoking habits, drinking habits, exercise habits, cardiovascular history, blood pressure, lipid levels, diabetes, renal function, and serum uric acid as risk factors. Results Of the 1750 participants, a total of 97 (5.5%) were confirmed to have died, of which 56 were men (7.1% of all male participants), and 41 were women (4.3% of all female participants). The multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that smaller thigh circumference and lower HGS in men were found to predict 6-year all-cause mortality, but in women only baseline HGS was associated with all-cause mortality. Conclusion Thigh circumference and HGS are useful predictors of death in Japanese community-dwelling men. Key summary pointsAim This study examined whether handgrip strength and thigh circumference are related to survival prognosis based on a 6-year follow-up period. Methods Participants were 787 men (aged 69 +/- 11 years) and 963 women (aged 69 +/- 9 years) who took part in a Nomura cohort study and who continued with follow-ups for the subsequent 6 years (follow-up rate: 95.5%). We obtained adjusted relative hazards of all-cause mortality from the basic resident register. Findings Thigh circumference and handgrip strength were useful predictors of death in Japanese community-dwelling men. Messages Thigh circumference and handgrip strength can be considered an accurate and consistent predictor of all-cause mortality in adults.