Abstract
Background: A handgrip dynamometer is a simple, inexpensive and quick method to assess muscle
strength. Sequential decrease in handgrip strength has been shown in various studies as a strong predictor
of stroke. Therefore, this study aimed to measure muscular strength and determined its association with
co-morbidities to predict critical illness in a community based setting of Punjab, Pakistan.
Methods: The study participants (n=152), were recruited through convenient sampling, during a
community-based survey. Muscle strength was assessed with the handgrip dynamometer and quantified
according to high, average and low percentile. Chi-square test was done to assess the distribution and
multinomial logistic regression analysis to identify the factors associated with them.
Results: Out of 152 participants, mean age 44.5±15.3 years, 95(62.5%) were females and 57(35.5%) males.
Handgrip strength measurement showed that 38(25%) of participants had high muscle strength, 80(52.6%)
average and 34(22.4%) had low muscle strength. Low muscle strength was significantly higher among
females (OR: 7.9, 95% CI: 2.4-27.1) as compared to the males. In general participants having diabetes had
low muscle strength (p<0.011), but in hypertensive the association was not significant (p<0.21).
Conclusion: Overall patients at risk of stroke such as diabetics had significant low muscle strength but in
hypertensive the association was not significant (p<0.21). More studies with bigger sample size are required
to make it a predictive marker for stroke and cardiovascular diseases. It is easy to measure and is a low-cost
technique for risk scoring and risk prediction in a community-based setting at an early stage.
Shama Razzaq, Tahseen Kazmi, Amna Khalid, Jamal Abdul Nasir, Ahmed Saud, Saadia Shahzad. (2021) Prognostic Value of Measuring Handgrip Strength (HGS) for Stroke Patients, The Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry, Volume 10, Issue-1.
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