Impact of heart disease on hand grip strength in COPD

Background: Heart disease (HD) and muscle dysfunction contributing to muscle weakness are common comorbidities among subjects with COPD. However, the relationship between muscle weakness, measured as hand grip strength (HGS), and HD in COPD is unclear. Aim: To evaluate the impact of HD on HGS among subjects with and without COPD. Methods: Data was collected from the OLIN COPD study, where subjects with COPD have been invited to annual examinations since 2005 together with age- and sex-matched referents without COPD. During 2009, 441 subjects with COPD (post-bronchodilator FEV 1 /VC Results: Among COPD subjects and non-COPD subjects, both men and women with HD had significantly lower HGS compared to those without HD (in COPD: men: 42 kg vs. 47 kg, p=0.003; women: 23 kg vs. 26 kg p=0.005 and in non-COPD: men: 41 kg vs. 48 kg, p 1 % predicted, B=0.06 (p=0.007), and HD, B=-1.83 (p=0.052) among COPD-subjects, while among non-COPD-subjects corresponding beta coefficients were: age, B=-0.51 (p 1 % predicted B=0.02 (p=0.324). Smoking habits were not significant in either group. Conclusions: In this population-based study hand grip strength was, as expected, associated with age and sex among both COPD and non-COPD-subjects. However, among those with COPD may, besides FEV 1 % predicted, also heart disease have an impact on hand grip strength.