Why high bone hormone might mean weak hands in older diabetics
Sex Differences and Positive Dose-Response Relationships between Serum Osteocalcin Levels and Low Muscle Strength
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher osteocalcin — a hormone thought to improve muscle function — was linked to worse handgrip strength.
Animal studies suggest osteocalcin boosts muscle performance; this human study in diabetics shows the opposite — making it counterintuitive and potentially paradigm-shifting.
Practical Takeaways
Adults with diabetes, especially women, may want to track handgrip strength as a simple proxy for muscle health — and discuss osteocalcin testing with their doctor if levels are high.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher osteocalcin — a hormone thought to improve muscle function — was linked to worse handgrip strength.
Animal studies suggest osteocalcin boosts muscle performance; this human study in diabetics shows the opposite — making it counterintuitive and potentially paradigm-shifting.
Practical Takeaways
Adults with diabetes, especially women, may want to track handgrip strength as a simple proxy for muscle health — and discuss osteocalcin testing with their doctor if levels are high.
Publication
Journal
Gerontology
Year
2023
Authors
Pei-Yun Chen, Yi-Hsuan Lee, Chien-Hsieh Chiang, Hao-Hsiang Chang, Chia-Wen Lu, Kuo-Chin Huang
Related Content
Claims (4)
Low grip strength is strongly correlated with increased risk of premature mortality.
People with diabetes who have more osteocalcin in their blood tend to have weaker hand grip, especially women, but we don’t know if the hormone causes weakness or if weakness changes the hormone.
In older women with diabetes, higher levels of a bone protein called osteocalcin are more strongly linked to weak hand grip than in men — especially when levels are above 15 ng/mL.
The more osteocalcin in the blood of older adults with diabetes, the weaker their hand grip tends to be — and this pattern gets stronger as levels go up.