The Associations between Upper and Lower Body Muscle Strength and Diabetes among Midlife Women

Beverly W. X. Wong, Win Pa Pa Thu, Yiong Huak Chan, Michael S. Kramer, Susan Logan, Jane A. Cauley and Eu-Leong Yong ()
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Beverly W. X. Wong: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
Win Pa Pa Thu: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
Yiong Huak Chan: Biostatistics Unit, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
Michael S. Kramer: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
Susan Logan: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
Jane A. Cauley: Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Eu-Leong Yong: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-11

Abstract: We hypothesized that a combined index of upper and lower body muscle strength would be more strongly associated with diabetes than either measure alone. Women recruited into the Integrated Women’s Health Program had their handgrip strength (HGS) measured using a dynamometer and underwent a timed 5-repetition chair stand (RCS) test. HGS < 18 kg and RCS performance ≥ 12 s assessed upper and lower body strength, respectively, both individually and combined in a muscle strength index (MSI). Diabetes was defined as physician-diagnosed, use of anti-diabetic medication, or fasting blood glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L. Binary logistic regression examined the associations between muscle strength and diabetes. Of 1170 midlife women, 12.1% had diabetes. A low HGS was independently associated with diabetes (aOR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.44). Prolonged RCS was also associated with diabetes (aOR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.30), but this was not independent of visceral adiposity and muscle mass. A poor MSI had higher odds of diabetes (aOR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.40, 4.03), independent of age, ethnicity, education level, menopausal status, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, height, visceral adiposity, and muscle mass. The combination of both upper and lower body muscle strength into a composite MSI was more strongly associated with diabetes than either weak HGS or prolonged RCS alone in midlife women.

Keywords: muscle strength; diabetes; midlife; Singapore; IWHP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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