title: Sarcopenia: an undiagnosed condition in older adults. Current consensus definition: prevalence, etiology, and consequences. International working group on sarcopenia.
abstract: Sarcopenia, the age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, has considerable societal consequences for the development of frailty, disability, and health care planning. A group of geriatricians and scientists from academia and industry met in Rome, Italy, on November 18, 2009, to arrive at a consensus definition of sarcopenia. The current consensus definition was approved unanimously by the meeting participants and is as follows: Sarcopenia is defined as the age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. The causes of sarcopenia are multifactorial and can include disuse, altered endocrine function, chronic diseases, inflammation, insulin resistance, and nutritional deficiencies. Although cachexia may be a component of sarcopenia, the 2 conditions are not the same. The diagnosis of sarcopenia should be considered in all older patients who present with observed declines in physical function, strength, or overall health. Sarcopenia should specifically be considered in patients who are bedridden, cannot independently rise from a chair, or who have a measured gait speed less that 1 m/s(-1). Patients who meet these criteria should further undergo body composition assessment using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry with sarcopenia being defined using currently validated definitions. A diagnosis of sarcopenia is consistent with a gait speed of less than 1 m·s(-1) and an objectively measured low muscle mass (eg, appendicular mass relative to ht(2) that is ≤ 7.23 kg/m(2) in men and ≤ 5.67 kg/m(2) in women). Sarcopenia is a highly prevalent condition in older persons that leads to disability, hospitalization, and death.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Boston, MA 02111, USA. roger.fielding@tufts.edu
authors.forename: Roger A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fielding
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vellas
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Shalender
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhasin
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Gabor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abellan van Kan
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrieu
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breuille
authors.forename: Tommy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cederholm
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.forename: Capucine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Meynard
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Donini
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Aimo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kannt
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keime Guibert
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onder
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papanicolaou
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rolland
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rooks
authors.forename: Cornel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sieber
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Souhami
authors.forename: Sjors
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verlaan
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamboni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D032921:Consensus; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology