Association Between Handgrip Strength And Blood Pressure In Firefighters

Abstract

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a major risk for cardiovascular morbi-mortality. Handgrip strength (HS) is associated to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality; also, low HS increases risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the general population. In firefighters, hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular mortality while little is known regarding HS in this population. It is not known if lower or higher strength levels could be associated to different BP levels. PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between HS and BP in Firefighters. METHODS: We evaluated 176 male firefighters with mean age of 28.1±5.7 yrs, BMI of 24.6±2.8 kg/m2, systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 123.1±13.2 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 72.5±8.6 mmHg, and HS of 102.2±17.1 kg. Isometric HS was measured using a hand-held Saehan dynamometer (Model SH 5001) in standing position with the arm extended straight down. Two maximal contractions were performed separated by one minute. HS was calculated as the sum of the largest value recorded from each hand and expressed in kilograms. HS was evaluated according to age as: poor, fair, good, very good and excellent. Afterward, firefighters were classified as having higher HS (good, very good and excellent categories) or lower HS (poor and fair categories). BP was measured in sitting position by an automatic digital arm pressure device. We compared the SBP and DBP of volunteers according to the HS classification (higher vs lower). The independent t-test (p≤0,05) was used for the analysis. Data are presented as mean ± SD. RESULTS: SBP was not different between those with higher and lower HS (p>0.05); however, DBP was significantly different between both groups (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that there is an association between muscle strength and DBP in this sample.Table 1: Blood pressure comparison between higher and lower grip strength*: independent t-test; SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure.