Table 1

Baseline characteristics of the Tromsø Study population, by grip strength fifths (gender and age specific)

NTotal1 (Lowest grip)2345 (Highest grip)Trend*
Men
 Number of participants28582858593562627514562
 Number of deaths12531253317258266214198
 Mortality rate (95% CI)†285838.6 (30.7 to 34.3)43.6 (39.1 to 48.7)34.4 (30.4 to 38.8)31.1 (27.6 to 35.1)30.1 (26.3 to 34.4)24.4 (21.2 to 28.0)<0.001‡
 Age285862.0 (6.4)63.3 (6.4)63.0 (6.0)62.4 (6.3)62.8 (6.5)62.0 (6.6)0.001
 Grip strength (bar)28580.84 (0.21)0.58 (0.12)0.74 (0.08)0.85 (0.09)0.95 (0.10)1.12 (0.15)<0.001
 BMI (kg/m2)285526.1 (3.4)25.5 (3.7)25.7 (3.4)26.2 (3.2)26.1 (3.1)26.9 (3.3)<0.001
 Height (cm)2855174.8 (6.0)172.4 (6.8)174.0 (6.9)174.7 (6.4)176.0 (6.5)177.2 (6.0)<0.001
 Systolic BP (mm Hg)2857146.7 (20.8)146.0 (21.1)145.2 (20.7)147.5 (21.0)146.1 (20.3)148.7 (20.9)0.019
 Cholesterol (mmol/L)28516.6 (1.2)6.6 (1.2)6.7 (1.2)6.6 (1.2)6.5 (1.1)6.6 (1.2)0.475
 Triglycerides (mmol/L)28471.8 (1.1)1.7 (1.1)1.8 (1.0)1.8 (1.2)1.7 (0.9)1.9 (1.1)0.158
 Poor/not good health, %2854435246404335<0.001
 History of heart attack, %2848101011101360.006
 History of angina, %2847121613111290.017
 History of stroke, %2846363242<0.001
 History of asthma, %28467797770.614
 History of diabetes, %28464524430.068
 Blood pressure medication, %28412021182121170.313
 Smoke cigarettes, %2857313536332924<0.001
 No light physical activity, %28412629282324230.034
 No hard physical activity, %2827738074687471<0.001
 Low education, %2847485750494438<0.001
Women
 Number of participants39923992843880732787750
 Number of deaths10851085281268181180175
 Mortality rate (95% CI)†399218.0 (16.9 to 19.1)22.8 (20.3 to 25.6)20.4 (18.1 to 23.0)16.1 (13.9 to 18.6)14.9 (12.9 to 17.3)15.1 (13.0 to 17.5)<0.001‡
 Age399260.8 (7.4)61.2 (7.4)61.1 (7.4)60.6 (7.2)60.5 (7.3)60.2 (7.5)0.001
 Grip strength (bar)39920.73 (0.20)0.47 (0.11)0.65 (0.06)0.74 (0.06)0.83 (0.07)1.00 (0.12)<0.001
 BMI (kg/m2)398426.1 (4.4)26.1 (4.8)25.7 (4.5)26.0 (4.3)26.3 (4.0)26.4 (4.4)0.011
 Height (cm)3986161.6 (6.2)160.5 (6.3)161.1 (6.4)161.5 (6.3)161.9 (5.8)163.1 (5.8)<0.001
 Systolic BP (mm Hg)3991144.8 (23.6)142.8 (22.8)144.7 (23.9)145.5 (23.9)145.0 (24.2)146.3 (23.0)0.006
 Cholesterol (mmol/L)39987.0 (1.3)7.1 (1.3)7.0 (1.3)7.0 (1.2)6.9 (1.2)6.9 (1.3)0.007
 Triglycerides (mmol/L)39861.6 (1.0)1.6 (0.9)1.6 (0.9)1.6 (1.1)1.6 (1.0)1.6 (0.9)0.692
 Poor/not good health, %39865069494545390.178
 History of heart attack, %39793422420.005
 History of angina, %398371065650.001
 History of stroke, %3976242110.5<0.001
 History of asthma, %3975911107770.008
 History of diabetes, %39763342230.294
 Blood pressure medication, %39751719171617170.609
 Smoke cigarettes, %39883034333028270.005
 No light physical activity, %3985273430252322<0.001
 No hard physical activity, %3948869186848482<0.001
 Low education, %3961616963595956<0.001
  • Figures are means (SD), unless stated otherwise. For brevity, descriptive statistics for only the ‘highest risk’ category of each categorical covariate are presented. Categorisations used are as follows: self-reported health status (poor, not so good, good, very good); history of heart attack (yes, no); history of angina (yes, no); history of stroke (yes, no); history of asthma (yes, no); history of diabetes (yes, no); use of blood pressure-lowering drugs (currently, previously but not now, never); current cigarette smokers (yes, no); light physical activity such as not sweating or out of breath during a typical week in the last year (none, less than one, one to two, three or more); hard physical activity such as sweating and/or out of breath during a typical week in the last year (none, less than one, one to two, three or more); education (primary (7–10 years), technical school/middle school, high school diploma (3–4 years), college/university <4 years, college/university 4 years or more).

  • *p Values for trend based on linear regression for the continuous variables, and logistic regression for the dichotomous ones. Grip in fifths treated as a continuous variable in the regression models.

  • †Mortality rate per 1000 (95% CI).

  • ‡The trend across mortality rates calculated using Poisson regression adjusted for age and sex.

  • BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure.