THE POTENTIAL FOR EARLY DETECTION OF SARCOPENIA AND FRAILTY USING DEVICES DEVELOPED FOR EXTENDING HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCY AND DISEASE PREVENTION

This study hypothesizes that the muscle strength involved in the everyday task of opening a plastic bottle is related to hand grip strength and other measurement items, which are diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia and frailty. We aim to investigate whether this muscle strength can be useful for the early detection of sarcopenia and frailty.

We developed a device to measure the strength required to open and hold a plastic bottle in collaboration with Duplo Seiko Co., Ltd.  In June 2024, participants performed the task of opening a bottle cap with maximum strength for 5 seconds, and the maximum value was recorded. The measurement posture for using the device was seated, and the grip method was the one usually used by the participants. Additionally, participants' hand grip strength, 10 meter maximum walking speed, and 6-minute walking test were measured.

Fourteen healthy elderly individuals participated (70.4±2.6 years, 2 males). The results from the developed device showed a maximum cap opening strength of 9.4±3.1 kg and a holding strength of 5.2±2.5 kg. Hand grip strength was 22.1±1.8 kg, 10m walking speed was 1.9±0.2 m/s, and the 6 minute walking distance was 471.9±50.5 m. Covariance analysis was used to examine the relationship between the strength involved in opening the bottle and physical indicators. The results showed a correlation between cap opening strength and hand grip strength (p=0.03, R²=0.72). There was no correlation with holding strength.

The ability or inability to open a plastic bottle may be useful for the early diagnosis of sarcopenia and frailty. By incorporating this device into rehabilitation and physical fitness assessments, early detection can be easily achieved without causing discomfort to the subjects. Additionally, this device could be used to measure muscle strength when hospitalized patients are returning home. In the future, we plan to conduct measurements on subjects with sarcopenia and frailty.

These results are fundamentally important for public policy services as well as rehabilitation to extend healthy life expectancy and prevent diseases and readmissions. This is because frailty and sarcopenia are associated with factors that exacerbate cardiovascular diseases and increase the risk of death.