Muscle weakness is linked to impaired mobility and mortality in older persons (1,2). The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Sarcopenia Project recently developed sex-specific criteria to diagnose different degrees of muscle strength (i.e., weak, and intermediate,and normal) in older adults based on maximum hand grip strength (1,3). These thresholds are related to the level of muscle weakness that is associated with unhurried gait speed, and an necessary mobility impairment (3). This report uses the FNIH criteria to provide national estimates of muscle strength in older adults in the United States in 2011-2012.
Source: cdc.gov