Handgrip Strength as a Multidimensional Marker in Adults Living with Obesity

Objective: Dynapenia is increasingly recognized as a distinct clinical phenotype. However, its clinical significance in adults living with obesity, including its associations with psychological symptoms, cognitive function, and comorbidity burden, remains insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dynapenia and its metabolic, psychological, and clinical correlates in adults living with obesity.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 140 adults living with obesity recruited from a tertiary endocrinology clinic. Handgrip strength was measured using a digital dynamometer and categorized as weak (dynapenic), normal, or strong according to age- and sex-adjusted reference values. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Cognitive function, depressive symptoms, comorbidity burden, and physical activity levels were evaluated using the AD8 Dementia Screening Interview, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), respectively. Group comparisons were performed using non-parametric tests, and correlations were assessed using Spearman coefficients.

Results: Dynapenia was present in 20.0% of participants. Compared with strong individuals, those with dynapenia had higher body fat percentage, lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass index, and lower hemoglobin and creatinine levels (all P < .01). Dynapenia was also associated with a higher prevalence of hypothyroidism and a greater depressive symptom burden. Handgrip strength correlated positively with ASMI (ρ = 0.320, P < .001), creatinine (ρ = 0.245, P = .004), and hemoglobin (ρ = 0.249, P = 0.004), and negatively with body fat percentage (ρ = −0.374, P < .001) and BDI scores (ρ = −0.181, P = .036). No significant correlation was observed with AD8 scores. Higher CCI scores were associated with lower muscle strength.

Conclusion: Dynapenia is common among adults living with obesity and is associated with adverse body composition, reduced biochemical markers of muscle integrity, greater depressive symptom burden, and higher comorbidity burden. Handgrip strength represents a simple, rapid, and integrative clinical marker that may support early risk stratification in obesity care.

Cite this article as: Erdem M, Yıldırım S, Yılmaz SK, Doğan ŞE, Yüksel B. Handgrip strength as a multidimensional marker in adults living with obesity. Endocrinol Res Pract. Published online September 1, 2026. doi: 10.5152/erp.2026.26934.