How to Diagnose Sarcopenia in Korean Older Adults?

In 2017, Korea became an aged society, with the percentage of the population aged ≥65 years accounting for 14% of the total Korean population. The increasing number of older adults and the current health status of Korean older adults had led to increased medical expenditure and social problems. Sarcopenia, defined as the progressive decrease in skeletal muscle mass and strength, develops as a consequence of aging. Sarcopenia is also associated with a risk of adverse health outcomes such as frailty, physical disability, poor quality of life, and death. Thus, sarcopenia is a serious clinical problem among older adults. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification code for sarcopenia, M62.84, became available on October 1, 2016, in the United States. The diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia urgently requires the establishment of an operational definition for sarcopenia in Korean older adults. In this article, I suggest a screening strategy and diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia in this population.