Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

Sarcopenia—definitions and epidemiology 

Sarcopenia—definitions and epidemiology
Chapter:
Sarcopenia—definitions and epidemiology
Author(s):

José A. Morais

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780198701590.003.0054
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2016. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 26 August 2019

Sarcopenia is a progressive and inevitable loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength associated with ageing that places older adults at high risk for adverse health outcomes. Up to of 15% of older adults suffer negative healthcare consequences because of sarcopenia. Furthermore, it is responsible for two to four times greater risk of disability. Expert groups have proposed clinical oriented criteria based on gait speed <0.8 m/s and low handgrip strength before performing muscle mass assessment. Multiple aetiologies are implicated in the development of sarcopenia including age-related, lifestyle, neurodegeneration, hormonal, and inflammation factors. Resistance exercise training and higher than recommended protein intake are two accessible means to counteract sarcopenia. Hormonal interventions, despite amelioration in muscle and fat masses, have not led to significant gains in function. Sarcopenia shares many features with frailty and can be considered as one of its underlying mechanisms.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.