What is sarcopenia and how can we handle it?

Sarcopenia is the combined presence of reduced muscle mass, muscle strength and function, which mainly comes with ageing, disease and sedentarism. It is reported for almost one-third of community dwelling elderly people. Recent estimates indicate, that more than 50% of people, 80 years or older, could be affected by sarcopenia.

It is associated with increased odds of loss of physical function and independence, falls and fractures, and in the worst case scenario death. In addition, sarcopenia related health care costs are already extensive, and expected to rise with the continued increase of older people.

Positively, protein, other nutrient and exercise interactions seem to be able to counteract sarcopenia or even improve the muscle status of people already suffering from sarcopenia. However, the first step is to diagnose people with sarcopenia, and several tools have been suggested to assess muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance in clinical trials. Whilst these tools have proven to be accurate and reliable in investigational settings, many are not easily applied to daily practice.

The lectures are followed by discussion with participants, based on specific questions related to the main topics of the symposium.

Speakers

• Tommy Cederholm, professor of clinical nutrition, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden
• Morten Tange Kristensen, PT, PhD, Amager-Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Niklas Grundt Hansen, PT, MSc, Ishøj Municipality, Capital Region, Denmark

Presentations

• Tommy Cederholm: The etiology of sarcopenia and recommendations for protein and nutrient interactions to counteract and treat sarcopenia
• Morten Tange Kristensen: Easily applicable measurements to assess signs of sarcopenia in daily clinical practice
• Niklas Grundt Hansen: Which specific physical exercise interventions has proven effective for treating sarcopenia?

Moderator: Morten Tange Kristensen