1. The maximal grip strength of the hand has been measured in a random sample of 359 men and 561 women aged over 65 years living in their own homes. The response rate was 80% from a representative demographic area of the U.K. Measurements were made of body mass, skeletal size (demispan) and grip strength. Grip strength was measured using a custom-built strain-gauged dynamometer. The best of three attempts was taken as definitive. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information about customary activity, use of handgrip muscles, health and psychological well-being. This was repeated with 620 survivors 4 years later.
2. The results for strength were normally distributed. The right hand was 10% stronger than the left and men had twice the strength of women. Strength was significantly related to skeletal size and in men to body mass. The gender difference was only partly accounted for by skeletal size and women were substantially disadvantaged in terms of their strength/body mass ratio.
3. There was a significant decline in strength with age of 2%/year for men and women. Strength was also significantly related to customary activity, reported use of the hands and psychological and physical health.
4. After 4 years 620 survivors were re-measured. Grip strength had declined by 12% in men and 19% in women and these losses were significantly related to age. A significant decline was also found in reported use, customary activity and health scores, and in women in body mass and psychological health. The loss of strength was significantly related to the decline in reported use of the hands but not to the other losses.
5. It is concluded that loss of strength over time in old age may be seriously underestimated by cross-sectional studies, especially in women; and that the loss is consistently and predominantly related to lack of use, rather than loss of health.
