Scientific article
Review
English

Understanding sarcopenia as a geriatric syndrome

Publication date2010
Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Highly prevalent in the population older than 65 years and leading to poor outcomes (functional decline and its related consequences), sarcopenia does not benefit yet either of a clear understanding of its pathophysiology or of precise clinical or biological markers allowing its identification. RECENT FINDINGS: The new scientific definition of 'geriatric syndromes' challenges the authors to review the current sarcopenia literature, allowing them to affirm that sarcopenia cannot be considered as an age-related disease but as a true 'geriatric syndrome'. More than 50% of the population older than 80 years suffer from this medical condition, which is linked to multiple causations: the ageing process itself, genetic susceptibility, certain life habits, changes in living conditions and a number of chronic diseases. Moreover, sarcopenia favours poor outcomes such as mobility disorders, disability, poor quality of life and death. SUMMARY: Considering sarcopenia as a geriatric syndrome allows us to request its recognition and assess its multiple risk factors, to implement a clinical and public health approach to the management of sarcopenic patients and population at risk and to disentangle the links among sarcopenia, frailty, disability and mortality.

Keywords
  • Aged
  • *Geriatrics
  • Humans
  • Risk Factors
  • *Sarcopenia/diagnosis/epidemiology/etiology
Affiliation entities
Citation (ISO format)
CRUZ-JENTOFT, Alfonso J. et al. Understanding sarcopenia as a geriatric syndrome. In: Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 2010, vol. 13, n° 1, p. 1–7. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328333c1c1
Main files (1)
Article
accessLevelRestricted
Identifiers
Journal ISSN1363-1950
600views
0downloads

Technical informations

Creation23/05/2012 08:44:56
First validation23/05/2012 08:44:56
Update time14/03/2023 17:32:26
Status update14/03/2023 17:32:26
Last indexation29/10/2024 19:58:08
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack