Background: Skeletal muscle dysfunction is a known systemic- or extra pulmonary effect in COPD. The relationship between the severity of the disease according to GOLD’s spirometric criteria and muscle dysfunction is however not clearly explored.

Aim: To investigate hand grip strength (HGS) in subjects with COPD compared to subjects without airflow obstruction.

Method: Lung function and HGS was measured according to validated methods in the years of 2009-2010 within the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) COPD-study. HGS, was measured with a hand-held dynamometer (Jamar®) in kilogram-strength (kgf), which has been shown to correlate strongly with both upper- and lower extremity strength. The sample included 441 subjects with COPD according to GOLD criteria (FEV1/FVC<0.70) and 571 non-COPD subjects in the same ages.

Results: Among men, HGS was lower in GOLD III-IV, mean=31.4 kgf, compared to GOLD II, mean=37.2 kgf (p=0.009), GOLD I, mean=36.9 kgf (p=0.024), and subjects without COPD, mean=37.6 kgf (p=0.024). Among women no such correlation was found. In the whole sample, HGS, did not differ significantly between subjects with and without COPD, or COPD stages according to GOLD. No correlation was found between percent predicted FEV1 but a strong and positive relationship was found between the crude value of FEV1 and HGS (pearson's r=0.67).

Conclusion: Among men, GOLD III-IV was associated with a lower HGS, however not among women.