Strength tests linked to lower mortality in older women

University at Buffalo researchers reported in February that two basic strength measures — hand-grip strength and the time needed to complete five chair stands — were associated with lower all-cause mortality in older women. The findings, published February 13 in JAMA Network Open, were based on 5,472 women ages 63 to 99 followed for a mean of 8.4 years. Researchers said the association held after accounting for physical activity, sedentary time, walking speed and inflammation. Earth.com highlighted the study again on Friday, renewing attention to whether simple strength screening can identify older adults at higher risk. ### Which two tests were linked to lower mortality? The study measured dominant hand-grip strength and the five-repetition chair-stand test, a timed task in which participants rise from a chair five times without using their arms, according to the University at Buffalo and JAMA Network. The JAMA report said women with better performance on both measures had lower mortality over follow-up. HealthDay’s summary of the paper reported inverse trends across quartiles for both grip strength and chair-stand time, with the strongest women showing lower hazard ratios than the weakest or slowest groups. (buffalo.edu) ### How large was the study, and who was included? JAMA Network said the analysis included 5,472 ambulatory women ages 63 to 99. The average follow-up was 8.4 years, and 1,964 deaths occurred during that period, according to secondary coverage summarizing the paper’s results. University at Buffalo said the study is the largest to date evaluating muscle strength and longevity in women over 60. (endocrinologyadvisor.com) Lead author Michael LaMonte, a research professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the university’s School of Public Health and Health Professions, led the work. ### What were the key numbers? (jamanetwork.com) University at Buffalo said every 7 kilograms of grip strength was associated, on average, with a 12% lower mortality rate. The same release said moving from the slowest to the fastest chair-stand times in 6-second increments was associated with a 4% lower mortality rate. HealthDay’s report on the study gave quartile-level estimates. (buffalo.edu) Compared with the lowest grip-strength quartile, the highest quartile had a hazard ratio of 0.67, while the fastest chair-stand quartile had a hazard ratio of 0.63 compared with the slowest quartile, it said. ### Did the link remain after accounting for exercise and health status? (buffalo.edu) The University at Buffalo release said the lower mortality rates remained evident after adjusting for accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior, gait speed and C-reactive protein, a blood marker of inflammation. ScienceDaily, which republished the university’s release, reported the same adjustments. (endocrinologyadvisor.com) LaMonte said muscle strength may support healthy aging in ways that aerobic activity alone does not capture. “If you don’t have enough muscle strength to get up, it is going to be hard to do aerobic activities,” he said in the university release. ### What should readers take from the findings? The paper was observational, which means it identified an association rather than proving that stronger muscles directly caused longer life. (buffalo.edu) The tests are already common in clinical settings, and the researchers said they may help flag older adults with elevated risk. JAMA Network Open published the full study on February 13, and the University at Buffalo release names Michael LaMonte as lead author for readers looking for the original methods and results. (buffalo.edu)