A Review on Sarcopenia, Cachexia, and Aging

Abstract

Sarcopenia and cachexia are two crucial geriatric problems that largely pass unrecognized, and their presence is a harbinger of a bad outcome. With the growing older of the human body, there is a gradual loss of muscle tissue and an increase in fat mass, leading to increased abdominal circumference. Sarcopenia is described as the progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function, leading to reduced workout capacity. It needs to be differentiated from cachexia, wherein the weight loss is because of an underlying sickness like cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and immunodeficiency disorder, leading to loss of fat and muscle tissues, and starvation, which is a reversible situation on proper nutrient supplementation. Skeletal muscle tissue loss due to sarcopenia is resistant to dietary vitamin supplements. Even with many commonalities between these two situations, these are considered separate clinical entities. Aging may be described as the time-associated deterioration of the physiological functions critical for survival and fertility. The traits of growing older-as distinguished from ailments of growing old (together with cancer and coronary artery disease)-affect all the humans of a species. A massive loss of muscle tissue and strength (sarcopenia), a reduced regenerative capacity, and a compromised physical performance are hallmarks of aging skeletal muscle. It is prudent to outline the distinction between the two conditions within the aging population so that a therapeutic method may be targeted toward the skeletal muscle loss and strength in aged humans. The treatment consists of appetite stimulants, dietary and nutritional supplementation, tailored exercise, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Megestrol acetate, an appetite stimulant, and dronabinol (Marinol), a narcotic drug used to treat nausea and vomiting in patients with cachexia.