Relationship between handgrip strength and albuminuria in community-dwelling elderly Japanese subjects: the Shika Study

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between handgrip strength (HGS) and albuminuria in the general population of Japan as per sex and age. Methods This population-based, cross-sectional study enrolled 916 Japanese participants aged >= 40 years. Albuminuria was measured and expressed as the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). Biochemical, nutritional, and anthropometric profiles as well as HGS were measured using standardised protocols. Results Four hundred and thirty-two (47%) of the study participants were men, and 484 were women, with respective mean ages of 62 +/- 11 years and 63 +/- 11 years. HGS, older age, high body mass index, presence of hypertension or diabetes, and a decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate were correlated with the log-transformed UACR in subjects of both sexes. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that HGS was independently associated with the log UACR in both, men [beta coefficient -0.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.73, -0.13] and women (beta coefficient -0.50; 95% CI -0.90, -0.10) aged >= 65 years; however, a similar association was not observed in younger participants. Conclusion Low HGS was associated with albuminuria in older men and women in Japan.