Sarcopenia, Grip Strength, Walking Pace, and New-Onset Stroke Risk: A UK Biobank Study

BACKGROUND: Novel stroke risk factors have received widespread attention. This study examined the association between sarcopenia status, grip strength, and walking pace with incident stroke (any stroke, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke) and poststroke mortality. METHODS: This prospective study included 482 699 participants from the UK Biobank, a large-scale, population-based cohort. Sarcopenia status was assessed according to the EWGSOP2 criteria (European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2). Incident strokes were ascertained based on health records. Stroke risk was assessed using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, whereas poststroke mortality was compared using the Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank tests. A 2-sample Mendelian randomization analysis, utilizing genetic instruments from public genome-wide association studies, was conducted to infer causal associations. RESULTS: ]) and a slow walking pace (aHR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.54-1.75]; compared with brisk pace). Mendelian randomization analysis demonstrated that a faster walking pace was associated with a lower risk of any stroke (odds ratio, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.90-0.97] per-SD increase) and ischemic stroke (odds ratio, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.91-0.98] per-SD increase). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia status, lower grip strength, and slower walking pace were associated with an increased risk of incident stroke and all-cause poststroke mortality.