Association of a composite score of relative grip strength and timed up and go test with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: Guangzhou BiobanK Cohort Study

Background: We investigated association of a score incorporating relative grip strength (RGS) and timed up and go (TUG) test with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in older Chinese. Methods: Both RGS and TUG scores were classified into tertiles (0 similar to 2 points) and summed to yield RGS-TUG score, ranging from 0 to 4 points, with higher points indicating better physical function. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze association of RGS-TUG score with incident T2DM. Results: 3,892 participants without T2DM were followed up for an average of 3.6 years with 240 developing T2DM. After adjustment, those with the lowest RGS-TUG score, versus the highest, had higher fasting glucose, two-hour post-load glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin A(1c), with beta (95% confidence interval (CI)) being 0.21 (0.08, 0.33), 1.06 (0.69, 1.43) and 0.16 (0.06, 0.27), respectively. In participants with BMI of >= 25 kg/m(2), those with the lowest RGS-TUG score showed a higher risk of T2DM (adjusted hazard ratio 3.01, 95% CI 1.04-8.69). No association was found for BMI of 18.5 similar to <25 kg/m(2) (P for interaction < 0.05). Conclusions: This is the first study showing lower RGS-TUG score was associated with increased glycemia and incident T2DM in older people with overweight/obesity. The underlying mechanisms warrant further investigation.

Automated summary

In older Chinese individuals, lower scores of relative grip strength and timed up and go test were associated with increased glycemia and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus, particularly in those with overweight/obesity. This suggests that assessing physical function may play a vital role in preventing diabetes.