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Review
. 2013 Nov 26;5(4):226-37.
doi: 10.14336/AD.2014.0500226. eCollection 2014 Aug.

Managing sarcopenia and its related-fractures to improve quality of life in geriatric populations

Tetsuro Hida  1 , Atsushi Harada  2 , Shiro Imagama  1 , Naoki Ishiguro  1
Affiliations
Review

Managing sarcopenia and its related-fractures to improve quality of life in geriatric populations

Tetsuro Hida et al. Aging Dis. .

Abstract

Sarcopenia, an aging-induced generalized decrease in muscle mass, strength, and function, is known to affect elderly individuals by decreasing mobile function and increasing frailty and imbalance that lead to falls and fragile fractures. Sarcopenia is a known risk factor for osteoporotic fractures, infections, and early death in some specific situations. The number of patients with sarcopenia is estimated to increase to 500 million people in the year 2050. Sarcopenia is believed to be caused by multiple factors such as disuse, malnutrition, age-related cellular changes, apoptosis, and genetic predisposition; however, this remains to be determined. Various methods have been developed, but no safe or effective treatment has been found to date. This paper is a review on the association between sarcopenia and its related-fractures and their diagnoses and management methods to prevent fractures.

Keywords: diagnosis; muscle mass; osteoporosis; pathogenesis; sarcopenia; sarcopenia-related fracture; treatment.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Recommended algorithm for diagnosing sarcopenia from EWGSOP (ref., partly modified from original)
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
80 year-old woman with a hip fracture lying on operation table. Coexisting severe sarcopenia was pointed out.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Relationship between sarcopenia, osteoporosis and fracture
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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