Background and Objective: Uric acid, as an antioxidant, may play an important role in preventing the decline in strength and muscle mass in the elderly. The results of the studies conducted are not conclusive and are mostly about hand grip strength. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between serum uric acid levels and hand and quadriceps muscle strength in the elderly.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was part of the second phase of the Amirkola Health and Ageing cohort Project, which was conducted randomly on 800 elderly people. Hand grip strength was measured using a digital Hand Dyamometer and quadriceps muscle strength was measured using a mechanical dynamometer during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction knee extension test. Serum uric acid levels were measured using an autoanalyzer in milligrams per deciliter.
Findings: The mean age of participants was 69.74±7.14 years old. 448 (56%) of the elderly were men and 352 (44%) were women. In this study, with an increase in serum uric acid levels, the mean muscle strength of the hand and quadriceps significantly increased (p<0.001). The results of the multivariate linear regression test was the serum uric acid levels did not have a significant effect on hand muscle strength, but had a significant impact on quadriceps muscle strength in both the general population (p=0.021) and in the elderly women (p=0.001).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that with increasing serum uric acid, hand and quadriceps muscle strength also increased although in the adjusted model, this positive effect was only on quadriceps muscle strength in elderly women.