title: Prevalence, incidence, and clinical impact of sarcopenia: facts, numbers, and epidemiology-update 2014.
abstract: Sarcopenia is now defined as a decline in walking speed or grip strength associated with low muscle mass. Sarcopenia leads to loss of mobility and function, falls, and mortality. Sarcopenia is a major cause of frailty, but either condition can occur without the other being present. Sarcopenia is present in about 5 to 10 % of persons over 65 years of age. It has multiple causes including disease, decreased caloric intake, poor blood flow to muscle, mitochondrial dysfunction, a decline in anabolic hormones, and an increase in proinflammatory cytokines. Basic therapy includes resistance exercise and protein and vitamin D supplementation. There is now a simple screening test available for sarcopenia-SARC-F. All persons 60 years and older should be screened for sarcopenia and treated when appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Endocrinology, St. Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., M238, St. Louis, MO, 63104, USA, morley@slu.edu.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.forename: Stefan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Anker
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Haehling