AUTHOR=Alamri Sultan H. , Simbawa Mayar M. 

TITLE=The clinical utility of handgrip strength as a malnutrition screening tool in hospitalized older adults: a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1436977

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2024.1436977

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Background: Malnutrition is a prevalent disease among hospitalized older patients. Early identification is therefore essential to implement appropriate therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between Hand Grip Strength (HGS) and nutritional status in hospitalized older adults.This observational cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, where a consecutive cohort of older adult inpatients was enrolled for participation. Shortly after admission, HGS and nutritional status were assessed using a dynamometer and the most recent version of Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) test, respectively. Key anthropometric and biochemical indicators were also collected.Results: A total of 135 consecutive patients were evaluated. Among participants with low HGS, 18 (16.22%) were malnourished, 43 (38.74%) were at risk of malnutrition and 50 (45.05%) had normal nutrition status. The participants with low HGS had low hemoglobin, low lymphocytes levels, high creatinine levels, high BUN level, high CRP levels, high HbA1c levels, and high Vitamin B12 levels. Multiple logistic regression showed that age, hemoglobin and HbA1C were independently associated with low HGS. Based on the cut-off values for the HGS by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People-2 (EWGSOP2), low HGS showed a high sensitivity to detect "malnourished and at risk of malnutrition" as well as "malnourished alone", however, the specificity was low to exclude "malnourished and at risk of malnutrition" as well as "malnutrition alone".Age over 75, low hemoglobin, and elevated HbA1C levels were independent risk factors for low HGS. While HGS was sensitive in detecting malnutrition or risk, its specificity was low. Therefore, HGS may not be adequate as a standalone tool to assess nutritional status in