Associations Of Handgrip Strength Research Articles

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATIONS OF HAND GRIP STRENGTH AND CHAIR STAND TIME WITH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR FALLS AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Hand grip strength and chair stand time are physical performance measures that are predictive of frailty and muscle strengths in older age. We examined their associations with indoor and outdoor falls among older adults. The Healthy Aging and Neighborhood Study enrolled 397 community-dwelling older adults aged 65-95 years old in Central Massachusetts (2018-2020). Hand grip strength (in kilograms) and chair stand time (in seconds) were measured at baseline by trained research staff. Falls were reported on monthly falls calendar, and when a fall was reported, the circumstances were collected via telephone interview. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the associations of hand grip strength and chair stand time with both indoor and outdoor falls, separately. Models were adjusting for sex, age, BMI, bodily pain, comorbidities, ADL and IADL as appropriate. Overall, annual rates (95% CI) of indoor and outdoor falls were 40.2 (33.7-47.6) and 45.3 (38.4-53.1) per 100 person-years respectively. Stronger hand grip strength was associated with lower rate of indoor falls (IRR (95% CI): 0.94 (0.91-0.98) per kilogram). Longer chair stand time was associated with higher rate of indoor falls (IRR (95% CI): 1.06 (1.03-1.09) per second). There was no significant association of outdoor falls with grip strength (p=0.504) or chair stand time (p=0.430). In conclusion, hand grip strength and chair stand time were predictive of indoor falls but not outdoor falls. Future studies should examine the underlying mechanisms of such differential associations indoor vs. outdoor falls.

115 Association between muscle strength, body composition and stroke incidence- findings from the UK biobank prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Stroke incidence is growing. Muscle strength and muscle mass are inversely associated with cardiovascular health and the ageing process. The aim of this study was to examine the association between components of body composition and incident stroke. Methods UK Biobank is a prospective, population-based study wherein 348,198 participants aged 40–69 years (56% women) were recruited. The associations of handgrip strength and muscle mass (kg) with stroke incidence over follow-up were investigated using Cox-proportional hazard models. Results Among 348,198 participants, 5,480 (0.02%) participants developed a fatal or non-fatal stroke event over the mean follow-up period of 8.92 (SD 1.15) years. Findings demonstrated inverse and independent associations between hand grip strength and stroke incidence (HR: 0.92, 95% CI 0.89; 0.95, p < 0.001) and stroke mortality (HR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.78; 0.92, p = 0.005) in the full-adjusted models. Findings also show inverse associations between body fat and stroke incidence (HR: 0.93, 95% CI 0.87; 0.99, p = 0.02) and stroke mortality (HR: 0.83, 95% CI 0.71; 1.00, p = 0.02). Muscle mass was not associated with stroke risk or mortality. Conclusion Handgrip strength and body fat were inversely associated with a higher risk of stroke among middle-aged participants in this population-based cohort study. These findings support the importance of body composition and muscle strength evaluation in screening for stroke risk among adults 40+ years old without pre-existing disease.

Causal associations of hand grip strength with bone mineral density and fracture risk: A mendelian randomization study.

Muscle strength has been shown to exert positive effects on bone health. The causal relationship between hand grip strength and osteoporosis is an important public health issue but is not fully revealed. The goal of this study was to investigate whether and to what extent hand grip strength affects bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk. We conducted a state-of-the-art two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. Genomewide significant (P<5×10-8) single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with hand grip strength were obtained. Summary level data of BMD and fractures at different body sites (lumbar spine, heel, forearm and femoral neck) was obtained from a large-scale osteoporosis database. The inverse variance weighted method was the primary method used for analysis, and the weighted-median, MR-Egger were utilized for sensitivity analyses. The results provided strong evidence that hand grip strength trait was causally and positively associated with lumbar spine BMD (β: 0.288, 95% CI: 0.079 to 0.497; P=0.007), while no causal relationship was found between hand grip strength and BMD at heel (β: -0.081, 95% CI: -0.232 to 0.070; P=0.295), forearm (β: 0.-0.101, 95% CI: -0.451 to 0.248; P=0.571) or femoral neck (β: 0.054, 95% CI: -0.171 to 0.278; P=0.639). In addition, no statistically significant effects were observed for hand grip strength on fracture risks (β: -0.004, 95% CI: -0.019 to 0.012; P=0.662). This study showed a positive causal relationship between hand grip strength and lumbar BMD, which is the most common site of osteoporotic fracture, but did not find a causal relationship between hand grip strength and BMD of heel, forearm, or femoral neck. No statistically significant effect of hand grip strength on fracture risk was observed. This study indicates variations in the abilities of hand grip strength trait to causally influence BMD at different skeleton sites. These results should be considered in further studies and public health measures on osteoporosis prevention strategies.

Longitudinal association of handgrip strength with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in older adults using a causal framework.

To date, there is no study addressing the time-varying confounding bias in the association of handgrip strength (HGS) with all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, we conducted marginal structural models (MSM) to provide causal estimations on the associations of HGS with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a representative sample of adults aged 50years or older. Data from 29 countries including 121,116 participants (276,994 observations; mean age 63.7years; 56.3% women) free from prior heart attack or stroke were retrieved from consecutive waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). During a median of 7.7years follow-up (interquartile range 3.8-11.8) and 1,009,862 person-years, 6407 participants (5.3%) died due to all causes, and 2263 (1.9%) died due to cardiovascular diseases. Using repeated measures of handheld dynamometry, we determined absolute and relative to body mass index HGS of each participant. We applied adjusted MSM to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) associated with changes over time in HGS addressing the time-varying confounding bias. An increase of 5kg in HGS was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause [HR 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-0.90], overall cardiovascular (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.82-0.86), heart attack (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.86-0.95), and stroke (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.82-0.90) mortality. The associations of relative HGS were of stronger magnitude in all cases. Our findings provide critical evidence on the importance of increasing general muscle strength in older adults to reduce mortality risk, particularly concerning cardiovascular causes.

Handgrip strength and respiratory disease mortality: Longitudinal analyses from SHARE

BackgroundWhile the association between handgrip strength and all-cause mortality is more deeply explored, no previous studies have been specifically focused on handgrip strength and respiratory disease mortality. The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between handgrip strength and respiratory disease mortality in a large representative sample. MethodsIndividuals aged 50 or over from 27 European countries and Israel participated in this longitudinal study. Data on handgrip strength and all-cause and respiratory disease mortality were retrieved from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) waves 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. We estimated the sub hazard ratios (SHRs) for respiratory disease mortality using a Fine-Gray sub-distribution method with both time-varying exposure and covariates and mortality due to other causes as competing risk. Furthermore, we assessed dose‐response associations of handgrip strength (modelled as a continuous exposure) with respiratory disease mortality using restricted cubic splines and estimated hazard ratios (HRs). ResultsWe included 60,883 men and 74,904 women with a mean age of 63.6 (SD 9.7) years at study entry. During a median (interquartile range) of 7.4 years of follow-up 565 (0.4%) participants died due to respiratory diseases. The increase of 1 single kg of handgrip strength showed a 6% incidence reduction on respiratory disease mortality (SHR, 0.94; 95%CI, 0.92-0.96) after adjusting for potential confounders. Furthermore, each kg increase of handgrip strength reduced respiratory disease mortality risk in a dose-response fashion and a significant threshold for values of 41 kg (HR, 0.49; 95%CI, 0.26-0.92) and higher was identified. ConclusionsHigher handgrip strength is associated with lower mortality due to respiratory disease. Intervention studies are needed to determine whether strength training in respiratory disease patients can prevent premature mortality.

Associations of handgrip strength with morbidity and all-cause mortality of cardiometabolic multimorbidity

BackgroundCardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM) is an increasing public health and clinical concern. However, predictors for the development and prognosis of CM are poorly understood. The aims of this study were to investigate the relation between handgrip strength (HGS) and the risk of CM and to examine the association of HGS with all-cause mortality risk among patients with CM.MethodsThis prospective cohort study involved 493,774 participants from the UK Biobank. CM was defined as the simultaneous occurrence of two or more of the following conditions: type 2 diabetes, stroke, and coronary heart disease (CHD). Cox proportional hazards models were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 12.1 years, 4701 incident CM cases were documented among participants with none cardiometabolic disease at baseline. Compared with the fourth quartile (Q4), the multivariable adjusted HR (95% CI) value of Q1 of HGS for developing CM was 1.46 (1.34–1.60). In participants with one cardiometabolic disease at baseline, participants in Q1 of HGS also possessed higher risk of CM than those in Q4, with HRs (95% CIs) being 1.35 (1.23–1.49) in patients with type 2 diabetes, 1.23 (1.04–1.46) in patients with stroke, and 1.23 (1.11–1.36) in patients with CHD. For participants with CM at recruitment, HGS was also associated with the risk of all-cause mortality (Q1 vs. Q4 HR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.36–1.80).ConclusionsOur study provided novel evidence that HGS could be an independent predictor of morbidity and all-cause mortality of CM.

Associations of handgrip strength with all-cause and cancer mortality in older adults: a prospective cohort study in 28 countries.

Backgroundmixed evidence exists on the association between muscle strength and mortality in older adults, in particular for cancer mortality.Aimto examine the dose–response association of objectively handgrip strength with all-cause and cancer mortality.Study Design and Settingdata from consecutive waves from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe comprising 27 European countries and Israel were retrieved. Overall, 54,807 men (45.2%; 128,753 observations) and 66,576 women (54.8%; 159,591 observations) aged 64.0 (SD 9.6) and 63.9 (SD 10.2) years, respectively, were included. Cox regression and Fine-Grey sub-distribution method were conducted.Resultsduring the follow-up period (896,836 person-year), the fully adjusted model showed the lowest significant risk estimates for the highest third of handgrip strength when compared with the first third (reference) in men (hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34–0.50) and women (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30–0.49) for all-cause mortality. We identified a maximal threshold for reducing the risk of all-cause mortality for men (42 kg) and women (25 kg), as well as a linear dose–response association in participants aged 65 or over. No robust association for cancer mortality was observed.Conclusionthese results indicate an inverse dose–response association between incremental levels of handgrip and all-cause mortality in older adults up to 42 kg for men and 25 kg for women, and a full linear association for participants aged 65 years or over. These findings warrant preventive strategies for older adults with low levels of handgrip strength.

Low hand grip strength is associated with worse functional capacity and higher inflammation in people receiving maintenance hemodialysis

ObjectivesTo evaluate the associations of hand grip strength (HGS) with body composition, functional capacity, muscle quality, and inflammatory markers in people receiving maintenance hemodialysis. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study in people receiving maintenance hemodialysis. HGS was measured by hydraulic dynamometer on the upper limb without fistula. Participants were stratified into low or adequate HGS, based on population-specific cutoff points. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and functional capacity by the Short Physical Performance Battery and timed up-and-go tests. In addition, serum creatinine, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and ultra-sensitive C-reactive protein (us-CRP) were measured before the dialysis session. ResultsA total of 67 participants (41.8% women, 58.2% male; ages 54.1 ± 11.7 y) were included. Those with low HGS had worse functional capacity than those with adequate HGS (timed up-and-go test, 10.7 ± 1.0 versus 8.5 ± 0.8 sec, respectively; P < 0.001). IL-6 and us-CRP were higher in those with low HGS than their counterparts (IL-6: 2.7 ± 0.3 versus 1.9 pg/mL, P = 0.03; us-CRP: 14.8 ± 3.0 versus 4.7 ± 1.9 mg/L, P = 0.03). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that appendicular lean mass, us-CRP, age, sex, and seven-point subjective global assessment score were associated with HGS. ConclusionsParticipants with low HGS showed higher inflammation and lower functional capacity. In addition to muscle mass, inflammation and nutritional status also affect HGS.<END ABSTRACT>

The Associations of Handgrip Strength and Leg Extension Power Asymmetry on Incident Recurrent Falls and Fractures in Older Men.

Evaluating asymmetries in muscle function could provide important insights for fall risk assessments. We sought to determine the associations of (i) handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry and (ii) leg extension power (LEP) asymmetry on risk of incident recurrent falls and fractures in older men. There were 5 730 men with HGS asymmetry data and 5 347 men with LEP asymmetry data from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) study. A handgrip dynamometer measured HGS and a Nottingham Power Rig ascertained LEP. Percent difference in maximal HGS between hands was calculated, and asymmetric HGS was defined as men in the highest quartile of dissimilarity for HGS between hands. The same approach was used to determine asymmetric LEP. Participants self-reported falls every 4 months after the baseline exam, and persons with ≥2 falls in the first year were considered recurrent fallers. Fractures and their dates of occurrence were self-reported and confirmed with radiographic reports. Older men in the highest HGS asymmetry quartile had a 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.43) relative risk for incident recurrent falls. Likewise, men in the highest HGS asymmetry quartile had a higher risk for incident fractures: 1.41 (CI: 1.02-1.96) for hip, 1.28 (CI: 1.04-1.58) for major osteoporotic, and 1.24 (CI: 1.06-1.45) for nonspine. There were no significant associations between LEP asymmetry and recurrent falls or fractures. Asymmetric HGS could be a novel risk factor for falls and fractures that is more feasible to measure than LEP. Fall risk assessments should consider evaluating muscle function, including HGS asymmetry.

Association between hand grip strength and stroke in China: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: The association between weak hand grip strength (HGS) and stroke recovery has been studied; however, few studies focused on the association of HGS with stroke prevalence and incidence.Methods: A prospective cohort baseline study of a nationally representative sample in Chinese adults aged 45 years and older in 2011 was followed up in 2015. 8871 participants without stroke at baseline were followed. The associations of HGS and its changes with stroke prevalence and incidence were investigated using logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards regression models.Results: Association of HGS and stroke prevalence was significant. HGS weakness significantly increased risk of stroke incidence, with 89.3% higher risk when compared to normal HGS. During 35,263 person-years of follow-up, 112 stroke patients occurred. The four-year incidence rate ratio of stroke for participants with a HGS weakness was 2.15, compared to normal HGS participants. HGS changes in weakness/weakness from 2011 to 2015(D-HGS) and normal/weakness D-HGS had higher risks of stroke incidence when compared with those who had normal/normal D-HGS.Conclusions: HGS weakness and decline of HGS were associated with stroke incidence for adults aged 45 years and older in China.

Sarcopenia, Low Handgrip Strength, and Low Absolute Muscle Mass Predict Long-Term Mortality in Older Hospitalized Patients: An Observational Inception Cohort Study

ObjectiveSarcopenia is highly prevalent in hospitalized older patients and associated with short-term mortality. This study aimed to investigate whether sarcopenia and its measures handgrip strength (HGS) and muscle mass at hospital admission were associated with long-term mortality in a cohort of hospitalized older patients. DesignObservational, prospective, longitudinal inception cohort study. Setting and ParticipantsAcademic teaching hospital; patients age ≥70 years admitted to the internal medicine, acute admission, trauma, or orthopedic wards. MethodsHGS and muscle mass were measured at admission using a hand dynamometer and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Sarcopenia was determined based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People definition. HGS and muscle mass (skeletal muscle mass index, appendicular lean mass, relative skeletal muscle mass) were expressed as sex-specific tertiles. The associations of sarcopenia, HGS, and muscle mass with mortality (during a follow-up of 3.4-4.1 years) were analyzed using Cox regression, adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity, and weight or height. Associations of HGS and muscle mass were stratified by sex. ResultsOut of 363 patients [mean age: 79.6 years (standard deviation: 6.4), 49.9% female] 49% died. Probable sarcopenia (prevalence of 53.7%) and sarcopenia (prevalence of 20.8%) were significantly associated with long-term mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08‒2.17 and 1.71 95% CI 1.12‒2.61, respectively]. Low HGS, skeletal muscle mass index, and appendicular lean mass were associated with a higher mortality risk (lowest tertile vs highest tertile: HR 2.660, 95% CI 1.40‒5.05; HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.06‒3.58 and HR 1.99 (95% CI 1.12‒3.53) in male patients. No statistically significant associations of relative muscle mass with mortality were found. Conclusions and ImplicationsSarcopenia and its measures (low HGS and low absolute muscle mass at admission) predict long-term mortality in older hospitalized patients.

Associations of Handgrip Strength and Handgrip Strength Asymmetry With Depression in the Elderly in Korea: A Cross-sectional Study.

ObjectivesRecent studies have suggested that assessing handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry together with HGS may be helpful for evaluating problems in geriatric patients. This study aimed to identify whether HGS asymmetry, weakness, or both were associated with depression in Korean older adults.MethodsThis study included 4274 subjects from the sixth and seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The maximum HGS of the dominant hand was used as a representative value. HGS symmetry was categorized by the ratio of the HGS of the dominant hand to that of non-dominant hand. The odds ratio (OR) for depression was calculated according to the HGS and its symmetry.ResultsIn total, 240 (12.5%) men and 534 (22.7%) women had depression. HGS or HGS asymmetry showed no statistically significant associations with depression in elderly men. Elevated odds of depression were observed in elderly women with low HGS (OR, 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 2.81) or prominent HGS asymmetry (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.08). There was a positive additive interaction between asymmetric HGS and weakness, as women with low and prominently asymmetric HGS showed higher odds of depression (OR, 3.77; 95% CI, 2.16 to 6.59) than women with high and symmetric HGS.ConclusionsDepression in elderly Korean women was associated with both low and asymmetric HGS. Our findings support the potential value of HGS asymmetry as an indicator of HGS.

Associations of Handgrip Strength with Prevalence of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes Mellitus in Older Adults.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate the association between handgrip strength and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes in older adults.MethodsA total of 4,186 participants 65 years of age and older was included in the study, which utilized data from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to explore the relationship between frequency of participation in physical activity and handgrip strength. The relationships between handgrip strength and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes were determined by logistic regression.ResultsOlder adults with higher handgrip strength participated more frequently in walking (right hand, 3.71 day/wk; left hand, 3.80 day/wk), strength (right hand, 1.40 day/wk; left hand, 1.43 day/wk), and flexibility exercises (both hands, 2.08 day/wk) than those with lower handgrip strength (right hand, 2.83 day/wk and left hand, 2.81 day/wk for walking; right hand, 0.18 day/wk and left hand, 0.22 day/wk for strength; right hand, 1.17 day/wk and left hand, 1.24 day/wk for flexibility). Higher handgrip strength was associated with reduced prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (right hand: odds ratio [OR], 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16–0.52; P<0.05; left hand: OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.10–0.38; P<0.05) and diabetes (right hand: OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57–0.89; P<0.05; left hand: OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.58–0.88; P<0.05).ConclusionEnhanced handgrip strength was significantly associated with lower prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes in older adults. Participating in physical activity should be recommended to older adults for maintaining handgrip strength.

Abstract 4256: Handgrip strength and cognitive function in elderly cancer survivors

Abstract Aim: Cancer and cancer treatment-related cognitive impairments are frequently reported in cancer survivors, presenting as lack of attention, impaired executive function and short-term money loss. The aetiology of these impairments is largely unknown. Recently, serum level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been associated with cancer related cognitive impairments. BDNF is a neurotrophin, secreted in responses to muscle contraction. Meanwhile, muscle dysfunction, characterized by muscle strength and muscle composition, is common in cancer survivors. Yet its impact on cancer survivors' cognitive function is unknown. To address this gap we evaluated for the first time the associations of muscle strength determined by handgrip with two cognitive function outcomes in cancer survivors using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Method: Data in two waves of NHANES (2011-2014) were aggregated. Handgrip strength in kilogram (kg) was measured with the Takei Digital Grip Strength Dynamometer, defined as the maximum value achieved using either hand. Data on two cognitive function tests were extracted, both were conducted among adults 60 years and older: the Animal Fluency Test (AFT) which examines categorical verbal fluency (a component of executive function), and the Digital Symbol Substitution test (DSST) which assesses processing speed, sustained attention and working memory. Survey analysis procedures were used to account for the complex sampling design of the NHANES. Gender-specific multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate associations of handgrip strength with cognitive test scores, adjusting for confounders (age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, smoking status, depression and leisure time physical activity). For explorative purpose, we further adjusted for handgrip strength squared. Results: There were 383 cancer survivors (mean age=70.9 years, mean BMI=29.3 kg/m2) with detailed data for analyses. Prevalent cancer types were breast (22.9%), prostate (16.4%), colon (6.9%) and cervix (6.2%). The prevalence of handgrip strength defined sarcopenia was 10.9% in men (&amp;lt;30kg) and 20.4 % in women (&amp;lt;20kg). Scores on AFT and DSST were 18.0 (s.e. 0.4) and 51.7 (s.e. 1.0), respectively. We observed significant linear associations of handgrip strength with both test scores in women. Each increase kg of handgrip strength was associated with 0.20 (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.33) higher score on AFT and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.30 to 1.35) higher score on DSST. In men, we observed inverted U-shape association between handgrip strength and DSST score, which peaked at handgrip strength of 40-42 kg. Conclusion: Handgrip determined muscle strength appears to be associated with aspects of cognitive functions in cancer survivors. Prospective studies are needed to identify the role of muscle on cancer related-cognitive impairments in men and women cancer survivors. Citation Format: Lin Yang, Lee Smith, Liang Hu, Graham A. Colditz, Adetunji T. Toriola, Davy Vancampfort, Mark Hamer, Brendon Stubbs, Thomas Waldhör. Handgrip strength and cognitive function in elderly cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4256.

Abstract 33: Handgrip Strength is Associated With Insulin Resistance in US Adolescents: Experience in NHANES 2011-2014

Background: Handgrip strength is a measure of muscular strength and body fitness. It has been shown that handgrip strength is associated with cardiometabolic risk in adult population. We hypothesized that handgrip strength is associated with insulin resistance measures in children and adolescents. Methods: The sample included 1,023 adolescents (50.4% boys and 49.6% girls) aged 12-19 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2011-2014 and did not take any antidiabetic medications. The sum of the maximum handgrip strength from both hands, standardized to age- and sex-specific z-scores, was used. Fasting plasma glucose, serum insulin, and calculated Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were used as insulin resistance measures. Serum insulin levels and HOMA-IR were log-transformed before further analyses. General linear models were used for data analyses. Results: After adjustment for age, race, sex, and body mass index, handgrip strength was inversely associated with serum insulin levels (P&lt;0.0001) and HOMA-IR (P=0.0002). The associations tended to be stronger in boys than in girls such that the inverse associations of handgrip strength with insulin levels and HOM-IR were significant in boys (P&lt;0.0001 for both) but not in girls (P&gt;0.35), though interaction terms between handgrip strength and sex were not significant (P&gt;0.36). There was no association between handgrip strength and plasma glucose levels (P=0.50). Conclusion: These results suggest that handgrip strength is associated with insulin sensitivity in adolescents, which indicates that increasing muscular strength and body fitness may have beneficial effects in early stage prevention of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.