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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #348116
Research Project: Nutrients, Aging, and Musculoskeletal Function

Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging

Title: Defining sarcopenia

Author
item DAWSON-HUGHES, BESS - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item BISCHOFF-FERRARI, HEIKE - University Hospital Zurich

Submitted to: Nutrional Aspects of Osteoporosis
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2016
Publication Date: 8/2/2016
Citation: Dawson-Hughes, B., Bischoff-Ferrari, H. 2016. Defining sarcopenia. Nutrional Aspects of Osteoporosis. Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis. 13-20.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Currently there is no standardized definition of sarcopenia. This hampers the clinical management of sarcopenia and retards the development and regulatory approval of interventions to reduce the progression of this common and debilitating condition in the elderly. Nine definitions of sarcopenia have been put forward by different individuals and working groups, but these definitions have not been examined or compared with respect to their ability to predict the rate of falling. Reduced lower extremity lean tissue mass and function characterize sarcopenia, and they are known risk factors for falling. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the nine operational definitions of sarcopenia proposed in recent years, to describe the prevalence of sarcopenia by each definition, and to describe the degree to which each definition predicted incident falls over a 3-year period in a cohort of 455 community-dwelling men and women age 65 years and older. We also comment on the need for further research and the importance of reaching consensus on a globally accepted definition of sarcopenia.