Corelative Assessment of Hand Grip Strength and the Indian Diabetes Risk Score in Young and Middle-Aged Adults

Introduction: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) poses a significant public healthchallenge in India, with increasing prevalence among younger and middle-agedadults. Early identification of at-risk individuals is essential for timely intervention.Hand Grip Strength (HGS), a simple and validated measure of muscular fitness, hasbeen suggested as a potential predictor of metabolic disorders, including T2DM. Thisstudy aimed to explore the correlation between absolute HGS and the IndianDiabetes Risk Score (IDRS), a widely used screening tool for undiagnosed T2DM.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Sree GokulamMedical College and Research Foundation from March to December 2023. A total of180 participants aged 18–49 years, including students and faculty, were recruited.Anthropometric data, waist circumference, and HGS (measured using a TKKdynamometer) were recorded. IDRS was calculated based on age, physical activity,family history, and waist circumference. Absolute HGS was defined as the sum of themaximum grip strength from both hands. Participants were grouped by age (18–24,25–35, and 36–49 years), and Spearman’s correlation was used to assess therelationship between HGS and IDRS.Results: The highest mean HGS was observed in the 25–35 age group, while thehighest IDRS was noted in the 36–49 age group. However, no statistically significantcorrelation was found between absolute HGS and IDRS across any age group (p >0.05).Conclusion: Although no significant association was observed, the study highlightsthe potential value of combining physical and metabolic screening tools. Futureresearch should explore relative HGS and longitudinal risk prediction.