PRESURGICAL GRIP STRENGTH PREDICTS POSTSURGICAL OUTCOMES IN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Muscle weakness is a strong predictor of a myriad of health outcomes among older adults. However, measures of muscle strength are not incorporated in healthcare settings which is partly due to a lack of established clinical applicability. Maximal grip strength was measured in 11,668 older patients (73.2+/-6.0 yrs, 50.3% female) during a standard presurgical consultation. Each kilogram of maximal grip strength was associated with approximately 1-hour shorter length of stay. Patients categorized as having weak muscle strength according to sex-based norms had a higher 30-day post-surgery mortality than their non-weak counterparts (Odds Ratio: 2.5, p=0.002 after statistical adjustment of age, sex, race and disease history). Additionally, patients with weak muscle strength were less likely to be discharged home than patients without weakness (68.8% vs. 83.9% returning home, p<0.01). Grip strength is a consistent predictor of post-surgical outcomes that might be used to improve care management.