Association of muscle strength with abdominal aortic calcification

Background Abdominal aortic calcification, a subclinical marker of atherosclerosis, shares pathophysiological pathways with musculoskeletal decline. Although grip strength is an established predictor of cardiovascular outcomes, its association with abdominal aortic calcification in sex-specific analysis remains underexplored. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 1683 adults in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2014. Abdominal aortic calcification was quantified via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry using Kauppila scores (L1–L4), with abdominal aortic calcification defined as a score >0. Muscle strength was evaluated using a standardized grip strength measurement (Takei dynamometer). Multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for demographic, metabolic, and lifestyle factors, were used to examine sex-specific associations. Restricted cubic splines were applied to evaluate dose–response relationships. Results Among 903 men (mean age, 58.3 ± 12.0 years) and 780 women (mean age, 57.2 ± 11.9 years), each 1-kg increase in grip strength was associated with a 1.8% reduction in abdominal aortic calcification risk (odds ratio, 0.982; 95% confidence interval: 0.971–0.993) in men and a 2.6% reduction (odds ratio, 0.974; 95% confidence interval: 0.955–0.993) in women. Dose–response curves demonstrated linear inverse relationships ( p < 0.05). Subgroup analyses confirmed consistency of this association across age, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes status (all p for interaction > 0.05). Conclusion Muscle strength exhibits an independent, dose-dependent inverse association with the prevalence of abdominal aortic calcification, which persists across demographic subgroups. These findings support the use of grip strength as a practical biomarker for abdominal aortic calcification risk stratification and highlight musculoskeletal health as a potential target for interventions to prevent vascular calcification.