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Epidemiology of sarcopenia
L J Melton1, S Khosla, C S Crowson
1Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|June 16, 2000
Summary
Muscle mass declines with age, affecting 6-15% of older adults and leading to physical limitations. Sarcopenia, or low muscle mass, prevalence varies, requiring further definition validation.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Human Physiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Muscle mass naturally decreases with aging.
- Sarcopenia, characterized by low muscle mass, is a growing concern in older populations.
- Understanding age-related muscle mass changes is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the patterns of muscle mass decline throughout the aging process.
- To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in an aging population.
- To explore the association between sarcopenia and physical limitations.
Main Methods:
- A population-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted in Rochester, Minnesota.
- An age-stratified sample of men and women participated in the study.
- Muscle mass was quantified using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
- Sarcopenia was defined as muscle mass more than 2 standard deviations below the sex-specific young-normal mean.
Main Results:
- Both total lean body mass and skeletal muscle mass were higher in men than women and showed a linear decline with age.
- Prevalence of sarcopenia among individuals aged 65 and over ranged from 6% to 15%, depending on the specific muscle mass parameter used.
- Sarcopenia was associated with increased physical limitations compared to individuals without sarcopenia.
- Prevalence rates were sensitive to the normal values used for defining cutoff points.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of the elderly population experiences low muscle mass, which is linked to increased physical disability.
- Further research is necessary to establish a validated operational definition for sarcopenia.
- Addressing age-related muscle loss is important for maintaining functional independence in older adults.