NAKO Examinations

Hand grip force

Hand grip strength and its maintenance in old age are an important indicator of health and physical performance, particularly in older people.

The gripping force of the hand is measured to determine physical performance and muscle strength. Your hand grip strength is measured on both hands using a hand dynamometer.

In the NAKO second re-examination, hand grip strength is part of the M4 examination module, which also includes the measurement of physical fitness and physical activity.

First results from the research module

Low hand grip strength can have health consequences and is a symptom of the disease sarcopenia in particular. Sarcopenia is characterised by the loss of muscle mass and a decrease in muscle strength.

NAKO Researchers analysed the data of 200,389 NAKO participants aged 19 to 75 years after completion of the baseline examination with regard to hand grip strength.

Some of the findings are:

  • Adults around the age of 40 had the highest hand grip strength.
  • BThe hand grip strength of adults increased up to the age of 40 and fell steadily from the age of 40.
  • The highest average hand grip strength was observed in women aged 39 and in men aged 38.
  • In general, men have a higher hand grip strength than women.
  • The research team used the NAKO data to define a threshold value of low hand grip strength as an indication of sarcopenia.

Originalpublikation
Huemer M-T, Kluttig A, Fischer B et al. Grip strength values and cut-off points based on over 200,000 adults of the German National Cohort – a comparison to the EWGSOP2 cut-off points. Age Ageing. 2023; 52(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac324

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Sonography