Frontera WR. Rehabilitation of Older Adults with Sarcopenia: From Cell to Functioning.
Prog Rehabil Med 2022;
7:20220044. [PMID:
36118146 PMCID:
PMC9437741 DOI:
10.2490/prm.20220044]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The 20th and 21st centuries have witnessed a substantial increase in human life
expectancy and in the number of men and women aged 60 years and older. Aging is associated
with a large number of health conditions, including sarcopenia, which has been the subject
of important research in the past 30 years. Sarcopenia is characterized by an age-related
loss of muscle mass, weakness, and impaired physical performance. The condition can be
diagnosed with a combination of measurements of these three elements. The precise
definition of sarcopenia and the selection of optimal assessment methods have changed
significantly in the past 20 years; nonetheless, the prevalence of sarcopenia in the
general older population is in the range of 5–15%. Molecular and cellular events at the
muscle cell level impact the size and quality of muscles (force adjusted for size). The
active and passive mechanical properties of single muscle fibers are altered by changes in
the structure and function of various cellular elements. Systemic factors such as
inflammation, loss of hormonal influence, and deleterious lifestyle choices also
contribute to sarcopenia. The consequences of sarcopenia include many adverse effects such
as impairments in activities of daily living, falls, loss of independence, and increased
mortality. Several rehabilitative interventions have been tested, and the safest and most
effective is the use of progressive resistance exercise. An increase in dietary protein
intake has synergistic effects. Future research should focus on a consensus definition of
sarcopenia, identification of the best assessment methods, understanding of biological
mechanisms, and testing of innovative interventions.
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