sarcopenia

Overview

Sarcopenia is a progressive skeletal muscle disorder characterized by loss of muscle mass, reduced muscle strength, and impaired physical performance. It is most commonly associated with aging, but it is also observed in chronic disease states such as cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus, end-stage liver disease, chronic kidney disease, inflammatory disorders, and postoperative recovery settings. Clinically, sarcopenia is linked to frailty, disability, falls, poorer quality of life, increased treatment toxicity, and higher mortality risk.

Biologically, sarcopenia is understood as a multifactorial condition involving chronic inflammation, nutritional imbalance, metabolic dysfunction, endocrine and immune dysregulation, altered muscle quality, and impaired muscle regeneration. Recent studies also suggest interactions with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, oxidative stress, gut microbiota, and immunometabolic pathways. Because of its broad clinical impact and lack of universally effective pharmacotherapy, sarcopenia remains an active target for diagnostic, mechanistic, and interventional research.

Focus of Latest Publications

Recent studies have demonstrated that sarcopenia carries significant prognostic implications across multiple clinical contexts. In patients with renal cell carcinoma and venous tumor thrombus, sarcopenia was independently associated with reduced cancer-specific and overall survival. Similarly, in castration-resistant prostate cancer, physical factors including sarcopenia and myosteatosis predicted poor prognosis in patients treated with androgen receptor signaling inhibitors. Beyond oncologic outcomes, sarcopenia has been linked to postoperative complications, with machine learning models developed to predict systemic inflammatory response syndrome following percutaneous nephrolithotomy, revealing a synergistic relationship between sarcopenia and staghorn stones in driving this complication.

Epidemiologically, sarcopenia shows multifactorial associations with metabolic and lifestyle factors in older populations. A cross-sectional study of Korean adults found significant associations between sarcopenia prevalence and glycemic control, blood pressure, and lifestyle behaviors. Hearing loss has also emerged as an aging-related health factor correlated with sarcopenia alongside deficits in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and nutritional status, suggesting shared pathways in age-related decline.

Recent therapeutic investigations have focused on both traditional and modern interventions. A randomized controlled trial demonstrated that combined electroacupuncture and Otago exercise Program produced measurable benefits for sarcopenia in older adults. Following metabolic bariatric surgery, a supervised online multicomponent program proved effective at improving sarcopenia-related traits and reducing sarcopenia risk in patients assessed 2–7 years postoperatively, establishing telemedicine-based interventions as a viable follow-up strategy in the late postoperative period.