Associations Between Handgrip Strength and Dementia Risk, Cognition, and Neuroimaging Outcomes in the UK Biobank Cohort Study
Duchowny KA, Ackley SF, Brenowitz WD, Wang J, Zimmerman SC, Caunca MR, Glymour MM.. JAMA network open, 2022-06-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
To evaluate reverse causation, we assessed whether a polygenic risk score for AD is associated with HGS. Results A subsample of 190 406 adult participants in the UK Biobank (mean [SD] age, 56.5 [8.1] years; 102 735 women [54%]) were evaluated. A 5-kg decrement in HGS was associated with lower fluid intelligence scores in men (β, -0.007; 95% CI, -0.010 to -0.003) and women (β, -0.04; 95% CI, -0.05 to -0.04. A 5-kg decrement in HGS was associated with worse odds of correctly responding to a prospective memory task for men (odds ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90 to 0.92) and women (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.90). A 5-kg decrement in HGS was associated with greater white matter hyperintensity volume in men (β, 92.22; 95% CI, 31.09 to 153.35) and women (β, 83.56; 95% CI, 13.54 to 153.58). A 5-kg decrement in HGS was associated with incident dementia for men (hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.28) and women (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.26). The AD genetic risk score was not significantly associated with HGS. Conclusions and relevance These findings suggest that HGS is associated with measures of neurocognitive brain health among men and women and they add to a growing body of research indicating that interventions designed to increase muscle strength, particularly among middle-aged adults, may hold promise for the maintenance of neurocognitive brain health.
Key findings
- To evaluate reverse causation, we assessed whether a polygenic risk score for AD is associated with HGS.
- Results A subsample of 190 406 adult participants in the UK Biobank (mean [SD] age, 56.5 [8.1] years; 102 735 women [54%]) were evaluated.
- A 5-kg decrement in HGS was associated with lower fluid intelligence scores in men (β, -0.007; 95% CI, -0.010 to -0.003) and women (β, -0.04; 95% CI, -0.05 to -0.04.
- A 5-kg decrement in HGS was associated with worse odds of correctly responding to a prospective memory task for men (odds ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90 to 0.92) and women (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.90).
- A 5-kg decrement in HGS was associated with greater white matter hyperintensity volume in men (β, 92.22; 95% CI, 31.09 to 153.35) and women (β, 83.56; 95% CI, 13.54 to 153.58).
Why it matters
In 190,406 UK Biobank adults (average age 56.5), each 5 kg of lower grip strength was linked to more new dementia (hazard ratio 1.20 in men, 1.12 in women), worse memory and reasoning scores, and more white-matter damage on brain scans. Grip strength did not differ by inherited Alzheimer's risk (the polygenic score was "not significantly associated"), so the authors argue the link is not simply early Alzheimer's weakening the hands. The study is observational: it suggests muscle strength may be worth building in midlife, but it does not show that strength training prevents dementia.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA network open) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | JAMA Network Open: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 145 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 24.2 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 15.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 120 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author M. Maria Glymour: h-index 83 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35737388) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18314
- PubMed: 35737388
- Original source →
- Free full text: JAMA Network Open →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Duchowny, K. A., Ackley, S. F., Brenowitz, W. D., Wang, J., Zimmerman, S. C., Caunca, M. R., et al. (2022). Associations Between Handgrip Strength and Dementia Risk, Cognition, and Neuroimaging Outcomes in the UK Biobank Cohort Study. JAMA network open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18314
Vancouver
Duchowny KA, Ackley SF, Brenowitz WD, Wang J, Zimmerman SC, Caunca MR, et al. Associations Between Handgrip Strength and Dementia Risk, Cognition, and Neuroimaging Outcomes in the UK Biobank Cohort Study. JAMA network open. 2022. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18314. PMID: 35737388.
BibTeX
@article{duchowny2022-35737388,
author = {Duchowny, K. A. and Ackley, S. F. and Brenowitz, W. D. and Wang, J. and Zimmerman, S. C. and Caunca, M. R. and Glymour, M. M.},
title = {{Associations Between Handgrip Strength and Dementia Risk, Cognition, and Neuroimaging Outcomes in the UK Biobank Cohort Study}},
journal = {JAMA network open},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18314},
pmid = {35737388},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18314}
}
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