Epidemiology of sarcopenia: Prevalence, risk factors, and consequences
2023/03/11 by Shuai Yuan, Susanna C. Larsson · 1,058 citations
Medicine · #Body Composition Measurement Techniques #Cohort #Cohort study #Disease #Epidemiology #Frailty in Older Adults #Intensive care medicine #Internal medicine #Malnutrition #Medicine #Mendelian randomization #Nutrition and Health in Aging #Observational study #Sarcopenia
paper · doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2023.155533
published in Metabolism 144, 155533 (Elsevier BV)
openalex publication_date 2023/03/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Abstract
Sarcopenia is a geriatric condition featured by a progressive loss of muscle mass and function and associated with various adverse health outcomes. In this review, we aimed to summarize the epidemiological features of sarcopenia as well as consequences and risk factors of the disease. We performed a systematic review of meta-analysis on sarcopenia to collect data. The prevalence of sarcopenia varied between studies and depending on definition used. Sarcopenia was estimated to influence 10 %-16 % of the elderly worldwide. The prevalence of sarcopenia was higher among patients compared to general populations. The prevalence of sarcopenia ranged from 18 % in diabetic patients to 66 % in patients with unresectable esophageal cancer. Sarcopenia is associated with a high risk of a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including poor overall and disease-progression free survival rate, postoperative complications, and longer hospitalization in patients with different medical situations as well as falls and fracture, metabolic disorders, cognitive impairment, and mortality in general populations. Physical inactivity, malnutrition, smoking, extreme sleep duration, and diabetes were associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia. However, these associations were mainly based on non-cohort observational studies and need confirmation. High-quality cohort, omics, and Mendelian randomization studies are needed to deeply understand the etiological basis of sarcopenia.
Citations
Cited by
- Anti-sarcopenic effects of active vitamin D through modulation of anabolic and catabolic signaling pathways in human skeletal muscle: A randomized controlled trial
- Nutrition in the prevention and treatment of skeletal muscle ageing and sarcopenia: a single nutrient, a whole food and a whole diet approach
- Impact of dietary index for gut microbiota on muscle and bone health: A cross-sectional study
- Hormonal dimorphism in sarcopenia disease
- Vascular Impairment, Muscle Atrophy, and Cognitive Decline: Critical Age-Related Conditions
- Sarcopenia and MASLD: novel insights and the future
- Improving sarcopenia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of whey protein supplementation with or without resistance training
- Association Between Non-traditional Lipid Indices and Sarcopenia: Evidence from a Prospective Chinese Cohort Study
- Association between adherence to EAT-Lancet diet and risk of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in adults
- Comparison of diagnostic value of the SARC-F and its two modified versions (SARCF-EBM and SARCF-calF) in older adults in Turkey
- The skeletal muscle proteomic determinants of neuromuscular function in young and older women following 8 weeks of resistance training
- Utility of Hand Grip Strength in Predicting Mortality Risk in Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia
- Sarcopenia and Nutrition in Elderly Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study to Determine Prevalence and Risk Factors. [europepmc]
- Causal associations of sarcopenia-related traits with cardiometabolic disease and Alzheimer's disease and the mediating role of insulin resistance: A Mendelian randomization study. [europepmc]
- Perspectives on Aging and Quality of Life. [europepmc]
- Anabolic Resistance in the Pathogenesis of Sarcopenia in the Elderly: Role of Nutrition and Exercise in Young and Old People. [europepmc]
- Factors Associated with Sarcopenia among Elderly Individuals Residing in Community and Nursing Home Settings: A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis. [europepmc]
- Association between sarcopenia-related traits and cardiovascular diseases: a bi-directional Mendelian randomization study. [europepmc]
- Higher systemic immune-inflammation index is associated with sarcopenia in individuals aged 18-59 years: a population-based study. [europepmc]
- The longitudinal bidirectional association between sarcopenia and cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults: Findings from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. [europepmc]
- Pathogenesis and comprehensive treatment strategies of sarcopenia in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. [europepmc]
- Diagnostic Criteria and Measurement Techniques of Sarcopenia: A Critical Evaluation of the Up-to-Date Evidence. [europepmc]
- Improving sarcopenia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of whey protein supplementation with or without resistance training. [europepmc]
- Emerging Therapeutic Strategies in Sarcopenia: An Updated Review on Pathogenesis and Treatment Advances. [europepmc]
- Exploration of a machine learning approach for diagnosing sarcopenia among Chinese community-dwelling older adults using sEMG-based data. [europepmc]
- The association between weight-adjusted-waist index and sarcopenia in adults: a population-based study. [europepmc]
- Associations of CBC-Derived inflammatory indicators with sarcopenia and mortality in adults: evidence from Nhanes 1999 ∼ 2006. [europepmc]
- Association of low muscle mass index and sarcopenic obesity with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [europepmc]
- The prevalence of sarcopenia and risk factors in the older adult in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [europepmc]
- Association of interleukin-6 with sarcopenia and its components in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies. [europepmc]
- Exploring causal effects of sarcopenia on risk and progression of Parkinson disease by Mendelian randomization. [europepmc]
- Effect of Bimagrumab on body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [europepmc]
- Vitamin D and Sarcopenia in the Senior People: A Review of Mechanisms and Comprehensive Prevention and Treatment Strategies. [europepmc]
- Vascular Impairment, Muscle Atrophy, and Cognitive Decline: Critical Age-Related Conditions. [europepmc]
- Emerging Targets and Treatments for Sarcopenia: A Narrative Review. [europepmc]
- Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. [europepmc]
- Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. [europepmc]
Related