Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Handgrip Strength and Blood Glucose Levels in Young Adults and the Elderly

Abstract

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is an indicator of overall muscle health and is affected by impaired blood glucose levels. This review discusses the relationship between HGS and blood glucose levels and provides solutions to the known problems of HGS and blood glucose regulation. Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. The articles were sourced from Google Scholar and PubMed. A total of 418 studies were screened, of which 19 articles were included in this study. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias. Results: A relationship was observed between low HGS and high blood glucose levels. The suggested mechanisms involve insulin resistance, Caspase-3 activation, and the mitochondrial impact. Sarcopenia emerged as an independent risk factor for impaired glucose control. Interventions including insulin administration and exercise have been proposed to preserve muscle mass. Conclusion: Resistance training and HGS exercises can be added to the rehabilitation practices for managing diabetes mellitus. HGS measurements are vital for predicting muscle mass loss in clinical practice.