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Identifying sarcopenia
Gabor Abellan van Kan1, Mathieu Houles, Bruno Vellas
1Gérontopôle de Toulouse, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Toulouse University Hospital bINSERM Unit 1027, University Toulouse-III, Toulouse, France. abellan.g@chu-toulouse.fr
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
|July 17, 2012
Summary
Current sarcopenia definitions increasingly recognize its two-dimensional nature, requiring assessment of both muscle mass and function. However, methodological variations persist, lacking data on clinical outcome risk.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Muscle Physiology
- Aging Research
Background:
- Sarcopenia, an age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, poses significant health challenges.
- Accurate definition and diagnosis are crucial for effective intervention and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and discuss current definitions of sarcopenia derived from consensus studies.
- To identify common themes and variations in sarcopenia diagnostic criteria.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of consensus studies on sarcopenia definitions.
- Analysis of proposed operative definitions for sarcopenia.
- Identification of key components: muscle mass, strength, and function.
Main Results:
- Six primary approaches to defining sarcopenia were identified.
- Contemporary definitions emphasize a bi-dimensional nature, assessing both muscle quantity and quality.
- Commonly proposed measures include appendicular muscle mass index, hand-held dynamometry for strength, and gait speed for function.
Conclusions:
- While consensus exists on sarcopenia's bi-dimensional nature, significant methodological heterogeneity remains in its measurement.
- Clinically relevant thresholds and the combination of parameters for diagnosis are inconsistent.
- A critical limitation is the lack of empirical data linking current definitions to the risk assessment of adverse clinical outcomes.
