scholarly journals Normalized grip strength is inversely associated with DNAm age in middle age and older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 984-984
Author(s):  
Mark Peterson ◽  
Stacey Collins ◽  
Helen Meier ◽  
Jessica Faul

Abstract There is a large body of evidence linking muscular weakness, as determined by low grip strength, to a host of negative aging-related health outcomes. Given these links, grip strength has been labeled a “biomarker of aging”; and yet, this metric provides no biological plausibility. The objective of this study was to determine the association between grip strength and DNA methylation (DNAm) age acceleration. Middle age and older adults from the 2006-2008 waves of the Health and Retirement Study with 8-years of follow-up were included. Cross sectional and longitudinal modeling were performed to examine the association between grip strength (normalized to body mass: NGS) and DNAm age acceleration, adjusting for cell composition, sociodemographic variables, and smoking. Three DNAm clocks were incorporated for estimating age acceleration including the established DunedinPoAm, Levine, and GrimAge clocks. There was a robust and independent cross sectional association between NGS and DNAm age for men (β:-0.36; p<0.001) and women (β:-0.36; p<0.001) using the DunedinPoAm clock, and for men only using the Levine (β:-8.04; p=0.01) and GrimAge (β:-4.76; p=0.01) clocks. There was also an independent longitudinal association between baseline NGS and DNAm age for men (β:-0.27; p<0.001) and women (β:-0.36; p<0.001) using the DunedinPoAm clock, and for women only using the Levine (β:-8.20; p<0.001) and GrimAge (β:-6.04; p<0.001) clocks. Our findings provide some evidence of age acceleration among men and women with lower NGS. Future research is needed to understand the extent to which DNAm age mediates the association between grip strength and chronic disease, disability, and mortality.

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-622
Author(s):  
Amanda Sonnega ◽  
Amanda Leggett ◽  
Renee Pepin ◽  
Shervin Assari

Research suggests that physical activity may influence sleep, yet more research is needed before it can be considered a frontline treatment for insomnia. Less is known about how this relationship is moderated by age. Using multilevel modeling, we examined self-reported physical activity and insomnia symptoms in 18,078 respondents from the U.S. nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (2004–2014). The mean baseline age was 64.7 years, with 53.9% female. Individuals who reported more physical activity (B = −0.005, p < .001) had fewer insomnia symptoms. Over 10 years, the respondents reported fewer insomnia symptoms at times when they reported more physical activity than was average for them (B = −0.003, p < .001). Age moderated this relationship (B = 0.0002, p < .01). Although modest, these findings concur with the literature, suggesting moderate benefits of physical activity for sleep in older adults. Future research should aim to further elucidate this relationship among adults at advanced ages.


Author(s):  
Ilse Bloom ◽  
Anna Pilgrim ◽  
Karen A. Jameson ◽  
Elaine M. Dennison ◽  
Avan A. Sayer ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives To identify early nutritional risk in older populations, simple screening approaches are needed. This study aimed to compare nutrition risk scores, calculated from a short checklist, with diet quality and health outcomes, both at baseline and prospectively over a 2.5-year follow-up period; the association between baseline scores and risk of mortality over the follow-up period was assessed. Methods The study included 86 community-dwelling older adults in Southampton, UK, recruited from outpatient clinics. At both assessments, hand grip strength was measured using a Jamar dynamometer. Diet was assessed using a short validated food frequency questionnaire; derived ‘prudent’ diet scores described diet quality. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and weight loss was self-reported. Nutrition risk scores were calculated from a checklist adapted from the DETERMINE (range 0–17). Results The mean age of participants at baseline (n = 86) was 78 (SD 8) years; half (53%) scored ‘moderate’ or ‘high’ nutritional risk, using the checklist adapted from DETERMINE. In cross-sectional analyses, after adjusting for age, sex and education, higher nutrition risk scores were associated with lower grip strength [difference in grip strength: − 0.09, 95% CI (− 0.17, − 0.02) SD per unit increase in nutrition risk score, p = 0.017] and poorer diet quality [prudent diet score: − 0.12, 95% CI (− 0.21, − 0.02) SD, p = 0.013]. The association with diet quality was robust to further adjustment for number of comorbidities, whereas the association with grip strength was attenuated. Nutrition risk scores were not related to reported weight loss or BMI at baseline. In longitudinal analyses there was an association between baseline nutrition risk score and lower grip strength at follow-up [fully-adjusted model: − 0.12, 95% CI (− 0.23, − 0.02) SD, p = 0.024]. Baseline nutrition risk score was also associated with greater risk of mortality [unadjusted hazard ratio per unit increase in score: 1.29 (1.01, 1.63), p = 0.039]; however, this association was attenuated after adjustment for sex and age. Conclusions Cross-sectional associations between higher nutrition risk scores, assessed from a short checklist, and poorer diet quality suggest that this approach may hold promise as a simple way of screening older populations. Further larger prospective studies are needed to explore the predictive ability of this screening approach and its potential to detect nutritional risk in older adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S194-S194
Author(s):  
Kexin Yu ◽  
Kexin Yu ◽  
Shinyi Wu ◽  
Iris Chi

Abstract Internet is increasingly popular among older adults and have changed interpersonal interactions. However, it remains controversial whether older people are more or less lonely with internet use. This paper tests the longitudinal association of internet use and loneliness among older people. One pathway that explains the association, the mediation effect of social contact, was examined. Data from the 2006, 2010 and 2014 waves of Health and Retirement Study was used. Hierarchical liner modeling results showed internet use was related to decreased loneliness over 12-year period of time (b=-0.044, p&lt;.001). Internet use was associated with more social contact with family and friends overtime (b=0.261, p&lt;.001), social contact was related to less perceived loneliness longitudinally (b=0.097, p&lt;.001). The total effect of internet use on loneliness is -0.054 and the mediated effect is -0.025. The findings imply that online activities can be effective for reducing loneliness for older people through increased social contact.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 343-343
Author(s):  
Abbey Hamlin ◽  
A Zarina Kraal ◽  
Laura Zahodne

Abstract Social engagement may confer cognitive benefits in older adulthood, but studies have typically been restricted to largely non-Hispanic White (NHW) samples. Levels of social engagement vary across race such that NHW report larger social networks, more frequent participation in social activities, and greater social support than non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB). Associations between social engagement and cognition may also vary by race, but research is sparse. The current cross-sectional study examined associations between different aspects of social engagement and episodic memory performance, as well as interactions between social engagement and race among NHB and NHW participants in the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project (N = 247; 48.4% NHB; age = 64.19 ± 2.92). Social engagement (network size, activities, support) was self-reported. Episodic memory was a z-score composite of immediate, delayed, and recognition trials of a list-learning task. Separate hierarchical linear regression models quantified interactions between race and each of the three social engagement variables on episodic memory, controlling for sociodemographics, depressive symptoms, and health conditions. Results showed a main effect of more frequent social activity on better episodic memory, as well as an interaction between race and social support indicating a significant positive association in NHB but not NHW. These preliminary findings suggest that participating in social activities may be equally beneficial for episodic memory across NHB and NHW older adults and that social support may be particularly beneficial for NHB. Future research is needed to determine the potential applications of these results in reducing cognitive inequalities through the development of culturally-relevant interventions.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 616
Author(s):  
Avril Beirne ◽  
Kevin McCarroll ◽  
James Bernard Walsh ◽  
Miriam Casey ◽  
Eamon Laird ◽  
...  

The health effects of vitamin D are well documented, with increasing evidence of its roles beyond bone. There is, however, little evidence of the effects of vitamin D on hospitalisation among older adults. This study aimed to prospectively determine the relationship of vitamin D status in older adults with hospital admission and emergency department (ED) attendance. Trinity University of Ulster Department of Agriculture (TUDA) is a large cross-sectional study of older adults with a community population from three disease-defined cohorts (cognitive dysfunction, hypertension, and osteoporosis). Participants included in this analysis were recruited between 2008 and 2012. ED and hospital admission data were gathered from the date of TUDA participation until June 2013, with a mean follow up of 3.6 years. Of the 3093 participants, 1577 (50.9%) attended the ED during the period of follow-up. Attendees had lower mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations than non-attendees (59.1 vs. 70.6 nmol/L). Fully adjusted models showed an inverse association between vitamin D and ED attendance (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.996; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.995–0.998; p < 0.001). A total of 1269 participants (41%) were admitted to hospital during the follow-up. Those admitted had lower mean vitamin D concentrations (58.4 vs. 69.3 nmol/L, p < 0.001). In fully adjusted models, higher vitamin D was inversely associated with hospital admission (HR 0.996; 95% CI 0.994–0.998; p < 0.001) and length of stay (LOS) (β = −0.95, p = 0.006). This study showed independent prospective associations between vitamin D deficiency and increased hospitalisation by older adults. The need for further evaluation of current recommendations in relation to vitamin D supplementation, with consideration beyond bone health, is warranted and should focus on randomised controlled trials.


Author(s):  
James S Andrews ◽  
Laura S Gold ◽  
May J Reed ◽  
Jose M Garcia ◽  
Robyn L McClelland ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Half of all physical disability, including activity of daily living (ADL) disability, among older adults occurs in the setting of hospitalization. This study examines whether appendicular lean mass (ALM) and grip strength, which are commonly included in various definitions of sarcopenia, are associated with development of hospital-associated ADL disability in older adults in the Health ABC Study. Methods Individuals hospitalized during the first 5 years of follow-up (n=1,724) were analyzed. ALM to body mass index (BMI) ratio (ALMBMI), by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and grip strength, by hand-held dynamometery, were assessed annually. Development of new ADL disability was assessed at the time of the next annual assessment after hospitalization. Separate regression analyses modeled the association of pre-hospitalization ALMBMI or grip strength with death before the next scheduled annual assessment. Next, among those who survived to the next annual assessment, separate regression analyses modeled the association of ALMBMI or grip strength with development of ADL disability. Results Each standard deviation decrement in pre-hospitalization grip strength was associated with an adjusted 1.80 odds of new ADL disability at follow-up (95% CI: 1.18, 2.74). Low, compared to not low, grip strength (per FNIH definition) was associated with an adjusted 2.36 odds of ADL disability at follow-up (95% CI: 1.12, 4.97). ALM measures were not associated with development of hospital-associated ADL disability. ALM and grip strength measures were not associated with death. Conclusions Pre-hospitalization lower grip strength may be an important risk factor for ADL disability among older adult survivors of hospitalization.


1993 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Gatz ◽  
Michele J. Karel

Perceptions of personal control were studied in 1267 individuals who represented four generations of families participating in a large longitudinal study spanning 1971 to 1991. Cross-sectional, longitudinal, and sequential analytic strategies were employed. Over 20 years, mean levels of personal control became more internal in the 560 respondents who participated at all four times of measurement, probably as a reflection of contextual factors in the culture. Developmental changes toward greater internality were indicated for young adults as they progressed into middle age. Cross-sectional differences in middle-aged and older adults did not appear to represent developmental differences. The oldest generation of women was consistently the most external subgroup, suggesting a cohort effect reflective of their socio-historical reality.


Author(s):  
J.J. Aziz ◽  
K.F. Reid ◽  
J.A. Batsis ◽  
R.A. Fielding

Background: Older adults living in rural areas suffer from health inequities compared to their urban counterparts. These include comorbidity burden, poor diet, and physical inactivity, which are also risk factors for sarcopenia, for which muscle weakness and slow gait speed are domains. To date, no study has examined urban-rural differences in the prevalence of muscle weakness and slow gait speed in older adults living in the United States. Objective: To compare the prevalence of grip strength weakness and slow gait speed between urban and rural older adults living in the United States. Design: A cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of two cohorts from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using gait speed or grip strength data, and urban-rural residency, dietary, examination, questionnaire and demographic data. Participants: 2,923 adults (≥ 60 yrs.). Measures: Grip weakness was defined as either, an absolute grip strength of <35 kg. and <20 kg. or grip strength divided by body mass index (GripBMI) of <1.05 and <0.79 for men and women, respectively. Slow gait speed was defined as a usual gait speed of ≤0.8m/s. Results: The prevalence of GripBMI weakness was significantly higher in urban compared to rural participants (27.4% vs. 19.2%; p=0.001), whereas their absolute grip strength was lower (31.75(±0.45) vs. 33.73(±0.48)). No urban-rural differences in gait speed were observed. Conclusions: Older adults residing in urban regions of the United States were weaker compared to their rural counterparts. This report is the first to describe urban-rural differences in handgrip strength and slow gait speed in older adults living in the United States.


Author(s):  
Miji Kim ◽  
Jeremy D Walston ◽  
Chang Won Won

Abstract Background Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is associated with disease progression, mitochondrial dysfunction, and mortality. Elevated GDF-15 level was recently reported to be associated with poorer physical performance in healthy adults. However, the association between serum GDF-15 level and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults has not been well characterized. Methods We conducted cross-sectional (n = 929) and two-year prospective analyses (n = 788) among participants aged 70–84 years enrolled in the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Participants with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of &lt;60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 were excluded. Appendicular lean mass was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Sarcopenia status was determined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia-2019 algorithm. Results At baseline, 16.6% of the participants had sarcopenia. Median GDF-15 concentration was higher in the sarcopenic group than in the non-sarcopenic group (1221 pg/mL vs. 1019 pg/mL, p&lt;0.001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for cardiometabolic risk and biological factors, the highest GDF-15 tertile (≥1245 pg/mL) had an increased likelihood of sarcopenia (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.16–3.33) than the lowest tertile (&lt;885 pg/mL). During the two-year follow-up period, 67 (10.1%) individuals without sarcopenia at baseline developed sarcopenia. There were no significant associations between baseline serum GDF-15 levels and incident sarcopenia or its components (all p&gt;0.05). Conclusions Elevated GDF-15 was associated with prevalent sarcopenia but not able to predict incident sarcopenia in the 2-year follow-up. Further studies are needed to explore the pathophysiological roles of GDF-15 in the development of sarcopenia.


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