title: Inflammation: roles in aging and sarcopenia.
abstract: Aging is associated with inflammatory chronic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and arthritis. Sarcopenia-muscle loss with aging-is multifactorial with contributing factors that may include loss of alpha-motor neuron input, changes in anabolic hormones, decreased intake of dietary protein, and decline in physical activity. Research findings suggest that sarcopenia is a smoldering inflammatory state driven by cytokines and oxidative stress. Elevated levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein are often detected. Sarcopenic obesity manifests the added inflammatory burden of adiposity and associated adipokines. Potential interventions for sarcopenia include nutritional supplements, physical activity/resistance exercise, caloric restriction, anabolic hormones, anti-inflammatory agents, and antioxidants. A key question is whether sarcopenia is truly a distinct syndrome or a milder form of a cachexia continuum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015431:Weight Loss