Singapore General Hospital Researchers Release New Data on Health and Medicine (Investigating the functional grip strength of elderly fallers in Singapore)

2020 AUG 28 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Hospital & Nursing Home Daily -- New study results on health and medicine have been published. According to news reporting out of the Singapore General Hospital by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Static grip strength has been a reliable method for assessing the functional capacity of the individual and can be a useful marker for identifying elderly people at risk of functional deterioration leading to a fall.”

Financial supporters for this research include Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation; National Medical Research Council.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Singapore General Hospital: “However, static grip strength alone may not represent the true maximum strength that an individual could exert in his/her daily life, especially if the task requires simultaneous forces from gripping and a forearm twisting action, which is termed as functional isometric grip strength. Hence, the objectives of this study were to determine the differences in the fallers’ grip strengths at static-neutral grip position and during isometric forearm pronation/supination, as well as the differences between the maximum and sustained isometric grip strengths. Data were analysed from 31 elderly people (11 males and 20 females) aged 70 and over. Using a custom-made hand strength measurement device, three measurements were taken: (1) grip strength in neutral forearm position; (2) grip strength during isometric forearm pronation; and (3) grip strength during isometric forearm supination. Elderly fallers could only achieve approximately 60%-80% of the maximum normative strength. Additionally, it was found that their functional isometric grip strengths were generally weaker than their static maximal grip strength, especially during isometric supination as either maximum or sustained isometric supination grip strengths (Dominant hand: 10.6 kg and 8.5 kg, respectively (males); 6.0 kg and 4.4 kg, respectively (females)).”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Elderly fallers are weaker when their grip is subjected to additional torque, endurance or both. Hence, these findings have potential implications for designing better screening tools for the geriatric population.”

For more information on this research see: Investigating the functional grip strength of elderly fallers in Singapore. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare, 2019,28. (Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare - http://journals.sagepub.com/home/PSH). The publisher for Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare is SAGE Publishing.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1177/2010105819869361.

Our news journalists report that more information may be obtained by contacting Ita Suzana Mat Jais, Biomechanics Laboratory, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Additional authors for this research include Nivedita Vikas Nadkarni, Yee Sien NG, Dennis Chuen Chai Seow, Ting Hway Wong.

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