Table 1 Baseline characteristics of subjects with low handgrip-muscle strength compared with those with normal handgrip-muscle strength, mean (SD), unless stated otherwise
Variable | Low muscle strength (n = 341) | Normal muscle strength (n = 91) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age (years) | 77.5 (6) | 77 (6) | 0.000 | |
Gender, female, n (%) | 190 (56) | 15 (17) | 0.000 | |
Smoking, n (%) | Never smoked | 111 (33) | 24 (26) | 0.900 |
Ex-smoker | 160 (47) | 56 (62) | ||
Current smoker | 70 (20) | 11 (12) | ||
Chronic disease/patient, (n) | 2 | 1.6 | 0.078 | |
Drugs/patient, (n) | 3.6 | 1.6 | 0.052 | |
Barthel Score | 15.3 (4.8) | 16.1 (4.6) | 0.000 | |
Body mass index | 24.7 (4) | 26.8 (3) | 0.000 | |
Triceps skinfold thickness | 15.7 (7) | 15.3 (6) | 0.585 | |
C-reactive protein mg/L | 53 (73) | 49 (72) | 0.687 | |
Haemoglobin g/dl | 12.6 (2) | 13.4 (2) | 0.001 | |
Albumin g/L | 37.5 (5) | 39.2 (4) | 0.002 | |
Transferrin g/L | 2.17 (0.53) | 2.11 (0.41) | 0.379 |