Grip Strength Trajectories and Cognition in English and Chilean Older Adults: A Cross-Cohort Study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Grip Strength Trajectories and Cognition in English and Chilean Older Adults

T2 - A Cross-Cohort Study

AU - Angel, Bárbara

AU - Ajnakina, Olesya

AU - Albala, Cecilia

AU - Lera, Lydia

AU - Márquez, Carlos

AU - Leipold, Leona

AU - Bilovich, Avri

AU - Dobson, Richard

AU - Bendayan, Rebecca

N1 - Funding Information: R.B. is funded in part by grant MR/R016372/1 for the King’s College London MRC Skills Development Fellowship programmed funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and by grant IS-BRC-1215-20018 for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. R.D.’s work is supported by 1. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. 2. Health Data Research UK, which is funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Department of Health and Social Care (England), Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, Health and Social Care Research and Development Division (Welsh Government), Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland), British Heart Foundation and Welcome Trust. 3. The National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre. This paper represents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London and by the Health Foundation. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, the Department of Health, the MRC, ESRC or King’s College London. The Funding of the ALEXANDROS study was provided by the Chilean National Fund for Science and Technology (FONDECYT) grants 1080589 and 1130947 to C.A. Funding Information: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing was developed by a team of researchers based at the University College London, NatCen Social Research, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The data were collected by NatCen Social Research. The funding is currently provided by the National Institute of Aging (R01AG017644), and a consortium of UK government departments coordinated by the National Institute for Health Research. The Funding of the ALEXANDROS study was provided by the Chilean National Fund for Science and Technology (FONDECYT) grants 1080589 and 1130947 to C.A. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

PY - 2022/8

Y1 - 2022/8

N2 - Growing evidence about the link between cognitive and physical decline suggests the early changes in physical functioning as a potential biomarker for cognitive impairment. Thus, we compared grip-strength trajectories over 12–16 years in three groups classified according to their cognitive status (two stable patterns, normal and impaired cognitive performance, and a declining pattern) in two representative UK and Chilean older adult samples. The samples consisted of 7069 UK (ELSA) and 1363 Chilean participants (ALEXANDROS). Linear Mixed models were performed. Adjustments included socio-demographics and health variables. The Declined and Impaired group had significantly lower grip-strength at baseline when compared to the Non-Impaired. In ELSA, the Declined and Impaired showed a faster decline in their grip strength compared to the Non-Impaired group but differences disappeared in the fully adjusted models. In ALEXANDROS, the differences were only found between the Declined and Non-Impaired and they were partially attenuated by covariates. Our study provides robust evidence of the association between grip strength and cognitive performance and how socio-economic factors might be key to understanding this association and their variability across countries. This has implications for future epidemiological research, as hand-grip strength measurements have the potential to be used as an indicator of cognitive performance.

AB - Growing evidence about the link between cognitive and physical decline suggests the early changes in physical functioning as a potential biomarker for cognitive impairment. Thus, we compared grip-strength trajectories over 12–16 years in three groups classified according to their cognitive status (two stable patterns, normal and impaired cognitive performance, and a declining pattern) in two representative UK and Chilean older adult samples. The samples consisted of 7069 UK (ELSA) and 1363 Chilean participants (ALEXANDROS). Linear Mixed models were performed. Adjustments included socio-demographics and health variables. The Declined and Impaired group had significantly lower grip-strength at baseline when compared to the Non-Impaired. In ELSA, the Declined and Impaired showed a faster decline in their grip strength compared to the Non-Impaired group but differences disappeared in the fully adjusted models. In ALEXANDROS, the differences were only found between the Declined and Non-Impaired and they were partially attenuated by covariates. Our study provides robust evidence of the association between grip strength and cognitive performance and how socio-economic factors might be key to understanding this association and their variability across countries. This has implications for future epidemiological research, as hand-grip strength measurements have the potential to be used as an indicator of cognitive performance.

KW - cognition

KW - grip strength

KW - longitudinal study

KW - older adults

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85137265648&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/jpm12081230

DO - 10.3390/jpm12081230

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85137265648

VL - 12

JO - Journal of Personalized Medicine

JF - Journal of Personalized Medicine

IS - 8

M1 - 1230

ER -