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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Antoneta Granic, Dr Karen Davies, Dr Carmen Martin-RuizORCiD, Emerita Professor Carol Jagger, Emeritus Professor Thomas Kirkwood, Professor Thomas von Zglinicki, Professor Avan SayerORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Background: weak grip strength (GS) and chronic inflammation have been implicated in the aetiology of sarcopenia in older adults. Given the interrelationships between inflammatory biomarkers, a summary variable may provide better insight into the relationship between inflammation and muscle strength. This approach has not been investigated in very old adults (aged ≥85) who are at highest risk of muscle weakness. Methods: we used mixed models to explore the prospective association between GS over 5 years in 845 participants in the Newcastle 85+ Study, and inflammatory components identified by principal component analysis (PCA). Cut-offs of ≤27 kg (men) and ≤16 (women) were used to define sub-cohorts with weak and normal GS at each assessment. Results: PCA identified 3 components, which explained 70% of the total variance in 7 baseline biomarkers. Basal interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) had the highest loadings on Component 1; stimulated IL-6 and TNF-α and homocysteine the highest on Component 2; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) loaded positively and albumin negatively to Component 3. In adjusted mixed models, only Component 3 was associated with GS. One SD increase of Component 3 was associated with a 0.41 kg lower GS initially (P = 0.03) in all participants, but not with GS decline over time. Similar conclusions held for those in the weak and normal GS sub-cohorts. Conclusion: an inflammatory profile including hsCRP and albumin was independently associated with baseline GS. Future studies linking inflammatory profiles and muscle strength are needed to corroborate these findings in older adults.
Author(s): Granic A, Davies K, Martin-Ruiz C, Jagger C, Kirkwood TBL, von Zglinicki T, Sayer AA
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Age and Ageing
Year: 2017
Volume: 46
Issue: 6
Pages: 976-982
Print publication date: 01/11/2017
Online publication date: 25/05/2017
Acceptance date: 11/05/2017
Date deposited: 19/05/2017
ISSN (print): 0002-0729
ISSN (electronic): 1468-2834
Publisher: Oxford University Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afx088
DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afx088
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