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Developmental factors associated with decline in grip strength from midlife to old age: a British birth cohort study.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To test whether developmental factors are associated with grip strength trajectories between 53 and 69 years, and operate independently or on the same pathway/s as adult factors. DESIGN:British birth cohort study. SETTING:England, Scotland and Wales. PARTICIPANTS:3058 men and women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Grip strength (kg) at ages 53, 60-64 and 69 were analysed using multilevel models to estimate associations with developmental factors (birth weight, growth parameters, motor and cognitive development) and father's social class, and investigate adult factors that could explain observed associations, testing for age and sex interactions. RESULTS:In men, heavier birth weight, beginning to walk 'on time', later puberty and greater weight 0-26 years and in women, heavier birth weight and earlier age at first standing were independently associated with stronger grip but not with its decline. The slower decline in grip strength (by 0.07?kg/year, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.11 per 1 SD, p=0.003) in men of higher cognitive ability was attenuated by adjusting for adult verbal memory. CONCLUSIONS:Patterns of growth and motor development have persisting associations with grip strength between midlife and old age. The strengthening associations with cognition suggest that, at older ages, grip strength increasingly reflects neural ageing processes. Interventions across life that promote muscle development or maintain muscle strength should increase the chance of an independent old age.

SUBMITTER: Kuh D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6528009 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Developmental factors associated with decline in grip strength from midlife to old age: a British birth cohort study.

Kuh Diana D Hardy Rebecca R Blodgett Joanna M JM Cooper Rachel R

BMJ open 20190509 5

<h4>Objectives</h4>To test whether developmental factors are associated with grip strength trajectories between 53 and 69 years, and operate independently or on the same pathway/s as adult factors.<h4>Design</h4>British birth cohort study.<h4>Setting</h4>England, Scotland and Wales.<h4>Participants</h4>3058 men and women.<h4>Main outcome measures</h4>Grip strength (kg) at ages 53, 60-64 and 69 were analysed using multilevel models to estimate associations with developmental factors (birth weight ...[more]

PMID: 31072852

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Project description:BackgroundOngoing rises in obesity prevalence have prompted growing concerns about potential increases in the burden of age-related musculoskeletal conditions including sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity. This is of particular concern for future generations of older adults who have lived more of their lives in an obesogenic environment than current generations of older adults. We aimed to study longitudinal associations between body mass index (BMI) and grip strength in midlife using data from a large population-based sample, the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70).MethodsBCS70 participants with valid measures of maximum grip strength at age 46 years were included in analyses [3671 males (49%) and 3876 females (51%)]. Using sex-specific linear regression models, we examined associations of (i) BMI at ages 10, 16, 30, and 46 years; (ii) body fat percentage (BF%) and waist-hip ratio at age 46 years; (iii) BMI gains between 10-16, 16-30, and 30-46; and (iv) age at onset of obesity, with grip strength.ResultsAt age 46 years, mean (standard deviation) grip strength was 48.10 kg (8.98) in males and 29.61 kg (5.81) in females. Higher BMI at all ages was associated with stronger grip, and the scale of associations was greater in males than females from age 16 onwards (Psex interactions < 0.01). For example, in fully adjusted models, a 1 standard deviation increase in BMI at age 16 was associated with mean differences in grip strength at age 46 years of 1.41 kg (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.75) in males and 0.72 kg (0.53, 0.91) in females. Higher BF% at age 46 was also associated with stronger grip in both sexes. Greater gains in BMI between ages 10 and 16 were associated with stronger grip in both sexes, but subsequent gains in BMI were only associated with stronger grip in males. Associations of greater length of exposure to obesity and stronger grip were also more consistent among males than females. For example, in fully adjusted models, mean grip strength at age 46 years of males and females who had been obese since age 10 or 16 years was 4.39 kg (1.85, 6.93) and 1.25 kg (-0.18, 2.69) higher than males and females who had never been obese, respectively.ConclusionsHigher BMI from childhood onwards is associated with stronger grip at age 46 years. This suggests that, at this age, anabolic effects of fat on muscle are outweighing the catabolic effects thought to lead to the manifestation of sarcopenic obesity later in life, especially among men. Midlife may be an optimal time to intervene to prevent sarcopenic obesity.

Dataset Information

Developmental factors associated with decline in grip strength from midlife to old age: a British birth cohort study.

Publications

Developmental factors associated with decline in grip strength from midlife to old age: a British birth cohort study.

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