Relationship between exercise capacity and grip strength in elderly outpatients with coronary artery disease

Purpose: Progressive ageing of the population has highlighted the importance of the relationship between physical function and frailty in patients with chronic disease. Among the manifestations of coronary artery disease (CAD) include reduced physical function resulting in impaired exercise tolerance, reduced capacity to perform daily activities, and higher rates of disability. The aim of this study was to assess the association between exercise capacity and grip strength (GS) in a cohort of elderly patients with CAD. Methods: 65 outpatients (aged 75 ± 6 years) participating in an exercise-based secondary prevention program were included. Exercise capacity was assessed through the estimation of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and the measurement of walking speed (WS) by performing a submaximal Treadmill Walking Test. GS was evaluated in the dominant arm using a hand-held dynamometer. Results: Subjects were subdivided into two groups based on the WS measured at enrollment. Patients with higher VO2peak and WS values exhibited significantly higher GS (p\0.01) and weekly Leisure Time Physical Activity (wLTPA)(p\0.01). Furthermore, higher GS levels were modestly correlated with higher of VO2peak values (r =0.56, p\0.01) and WS (r = 0.62, p\0.01) and inversely associated with age (r = -0.42, p\0.01). To analyze the influence of age on GS levels, the study population was subdivided into two groups (Younger B 74, Older [ 74) on the basis of the median age. Older FW had higher GS levels than older SW (p \ 0.01). This observation was confirmed by multiple regression analysis (p\0.01), where GS was strongly associated with WS (p \ 0.01) and age (p = 0.01), while other variables were not. Conclusions: The main results of this study were the significant direct relationships between GS and WS and between GS and VO2peak. The assessment of these parameters was feasible and well tolerated. Preliminary results suggest that regular walking activity performed at higher average WS can help to maintain physical function in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease.