Prevalence of reduced muscle strength in older U.S. adults: United States, 2011-2012.

Five percent of adults aged 60 and over had weak muscle strength and 13% had intermediate muscle strength, as defined by the new FNIH criteria. Weak muscle strength is clinically relevant because it is associated with slow gait speed, an important mobility impairment. It is also linked to an increased risk of death. The prevalence of reduced muscle strength increased with age and was higher in non-Hispanic Asian and Hispanic persons than in non-Hispanic white or non-Hispanic black persons. Decreasing muscle strength was linked with increased difficulty in rising from an armless chair, which is another important type of mobility impairment.