Sarcopenia: Current Clinical and Research Issues

ABSTRACT

Sarcopenia is the age-related progressive decline of muscle mass, strength and function. It is not due to diseases, but a normal part of the aging process, and multiple physiological and psychological factors seem to contribute to it. Sarcopenia has been associated with a higher risk of falls, incident disability and all-cause mortality in the elderly. Despite this phenomenon has major clinical, social and economic consequences in older persons, its study is still limited and/or partial. The major issues making difficult the design of clinical trials on sarcopenia are: the multidimensional physiological mechanisms determining it, the lack of standardized definitions, the difficulties in operatively defining this dynamic mechanism, and the different methodologies able to estimate the muscle mass and function. The present review will 1) overview the current clinical and research issues related to the study of sarcopenia in the elderly, and 2) discuss the possible solutions on the basis of evidence on the topic.