HAND GRIP STRENGTH IN RELATION TO THE SIX-MINUTE WALK TEST AMONG PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by progressive airflow limitation, diminished exercise tolerance, and skeletal muscle dysfunction. Objective assessment of functional exercise capacity is central to gauging disease severity and physical performance in affected patients. Hand grip strength has gained attention as a simple surrogate of peripheral muscle function and may track with exercise capacity as measured by the six-minute walk test (6MWT). This hospital-based, cross-sectional, observational study was carried out in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine of a tertiary care centre over twelve months. Forty clinically stable COPD patients were enrolled. Each underwent detailed clinical evaluation, spirometry, hand grip strength assessment with a handheld dynamometer, and a 6MWT. Pulmonary function indices, including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the FEV1 /forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio, were recorded. The association between hand grip strength and functional exercise capacity was analysed using appropriate statistical tests, with a two-sided p-value below 0.05 regarded as significant. Most patients were aged 51–60 years, and 75% were male. The mean six-minute walk distance was 328.4 ± 74.6 metres and the mean hand grip strength was 24.8 ± 5.7 kg. Both measures declined significantly with advancing GOLD severity (p<0.001). Hand grip strength correlated positively and significantly with six-minute walk distance (r = 0.682, p<0.001), as well as with FEV1, body mass index, and post-exercise oxygen saturation. Hand grip strength was significantly associated with functional exercise capacity and disease severity in COPD. It may serve as a simple, reliable, and inexpensive adjunct for functional assessment, particularly where formal exercise testing is impractical.