Pinch strength predicts mild cognitive impairment in patients with CVD

Pinch strength is an independent predictor of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), a recent study has found.

Researchers cross-sectionally examined 135 patients with CVD who showed no signs of dementia at baseline. A dynamometer was used to measure grip and pinch strength. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment test was administered to evaluate MCI. Of the participants, 85 (mean age, 65.0±11.7 years; 86 percent male) were found to have normal cognitive function while 50 (mean age, 75.6±10.0 years; 76 percent male) had MCI.

Three-fingered pinch strength emerged as a significant predictor on logistic regression analysis. Better strength appeared to be protective of MCI (odds ratio [OR], 0.77, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.61–0.96; p=0.02) even after controlling for covariates.

Other significant correlates were nitrate use (OR, 0.17, 95 percent CI, 0.04–0.86; p=0.03) and age (OR, 1.09, 95 percent CI, 1.04–1.14; p<0.001).

Other dynamometer factors such as lateral pinch strength (p<0.001) and handgrip strength (p<0.001) initially appeared to hold predictive power but were attenuated after adjusting for confounders.

Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that at a cut-off of 6.75 kgf, three-fingered pinch strength had a specificity of 0.64 and sensitivity of 0.73 for indicating MCI. The resulting area under the curve was 0.71 (95 percent CI, 0.62–0.80; p<0.001).

“The determination of a cut-off value for three-fingered pinch strength that can predict MCI may potentially be one important factor in the early screening of MCI in the daily clinical setting,” researchers said.