What are the risk factors of sarcopenia in the elderly?
Perhaps the most interesting fact about sarcopenia is that the prevalence rate can reach 30% among the elderly and up to 10% among hospitalized patients with acute diseases. Even so, it is impossible to make a diagnosis in a routine consultation.
The occurrence of sarcopenia is related to many factors. Sarcopenia can develop acutely due to clinical conditions of long-term hospitalization, immobilization, lack of energy or use of drugs that adversely affect muscle mass and function.
Dengyan Lei published an analysis of risk factors of sarcopenia in the elderly on the journal of Advanced Emergency Medicine. This paper conducted an in-depth study on the clinical data of senile sarcopenia patients in a hospital within one year, and conducted an effective group study on the confirmed senile sarcopenia patients according to the international standard diagnostic specifications. The rest were either unrecognized or divided into control groups to better understand the risk factors associated with sarcopenia in elderly patients.
According to the author, the overall understanding of sarcopenia in the elderly was still in its infancy with no immediate treatment or even a highly standardized diagnosis for now. Therefore, relevant medical staff need to further comprehensively explore sarcopenia in the elderly, and to provide better and scientific guidance for the health of patients with sarcopenia and the prevention of sarcopenia in the elderly.
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