Correlation between hand grip strength and nutritional status in elderly patients

The process of aging impacts the function of the human body. Sarcopenia can cause frailty, which leads to changes in energy balance due to malnutrition, and it can progress if not treated properly. Hand grip strength is well known to be associated with several conditions in elderly, such as sarcopenia and frailty. We determined the correlation between hand grip strength and nutritional status in a cross-sectional study of 98 geriatric patients conducted between January and September 2016. Hand grip strength and nutritional status were measured. Median hand grip strength was 18. Six patients (6.1%) suffered malnutrition, 59 (60.2%) were at risk for malnutrition, and 33 (33.7%) had normal nutritional status. Based on Pearson correlation test, hand grip strength was correlated with nutritional status (P = 0.008, r = 0.268).