Reaching global consensus for definition of sarcopenia

A new editorial paper titled “Global consensus for sarcopenia” has been published in Aging.

In this new editorial, researchers Ben Kirk, Peggy M. Cawthon, and Alfonso J. Cruz-Jentoft from the University of Melbourne and Western Health discuss the global societal issue of skeletal muscle loss and weakness, termed sarcopenia.

Low muscle mass or low strength/function increases the susceptibility to poor outcomes such as fragility, hip fractures, disability, and low quality of life in older people. Skeletal muscle also acts as an endocrine organ and interacts with local and distal tissues; for instance, muscle cells secrete molecules involved in bone fracture healing and the same molecules help regulate distal tissues such as the brain, heart, and kidneys. This may partially explain why low muscle mass is a strong predictor of disease-specific mortality (dementia, cancer, heart failure, kidney/liver disease) as well as all-cause mortality in aging.

“Until now, there has been no universal agreement on a definition for sarcopenia,” the researchers note.

Previous definitions were continent- and region-specific: Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia/New Zealand. These definitions were certainly important in drawing attention to and creating understanding of this muscle disease. However, these definitions led to broad estimates in disease prevalence/incidence, as well as heterogeneity when comparing treatment results of randomized trials. The lack of a single definition likely impacted the identification of or treatment for sarcopenia in research and clinical practice (i.e., caused confusion for scientists, physicians and health care professionals on which definition, cutpoints, and muscle assessment tools to employ).

“To address this, the Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS) was formed to create a unified global definition for use in research and clinical settings,” the researchers explain.

Provided by
Impact Journals LLC