Relationship Between Sarcopenia and Cardiovascular Diseases in the Elderly: An Overview

Abstract

With the advent of population aging, aging-related diseases have become a challenge for governments worldwide. Sarcopenia has defined as a clinical syndrome associated with age-related loss such as skeletal muscle mass, strength, function, and physical performance. It is commonly seen in elderly patients with chronic diseases. Changes in lean mass are common critical determinants in the pathophysiology and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Sarcopenia may be one of the most important causes of poor physical function and decreased cardiopulmonary function in elderly patients with CVDs. Sarcopenia may induce CVDs through common pathogenic pathways such as malnutrition, physical inactivity, insulin resistance, inflammation; these mechanisms interact. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and CVDs in the elderly. Further research is urgently needed to understand better the relationship, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria, and mechanisms of sarcopenia and CVDs, which may shed light on potential interventions to improve clinical outcomes and provide greater insight into the disorders above.

Keywords: aging; cardiovascular diseases; comorbidity; elderly people; sarcopenia.

Figure 1

The pathogenesis of sarcopenia and CVDs. Malnutrition, physical inactivity, insulin resistance, inflammation, hormonal changes, autophagy, apoptosis and oxidative stress are involved in the occurrence of CVDs and sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is closely related to cardiovascular disease, which affects each other's course of disease. In addition, CVDs aggravates the adverse outcomes of sarcopenia, including falls, fracture, frailty, cachexia, hospitalization and mortality. At the same time, the prevalence of CVDs in sarcopenia patients is significantly increased, such as HF, hypertension, atherosclerosis and CHD.

Figure 2

The treatment of sarcopenia and CVDs. At present, the joint intervention of sarcopenia and CVDs is mainly from physical exercise, rational nutrition, hormone therapy and medication.