sarcopenia

Q: 72 years old male is admitted to ICU with community-acquired pneumonia. Chart reveals the development of sarcopenia over the last few months. What is sarcopenia? 

Answer: Unintentional weight loss, cachexia, and sarcopenia are progressive levels of weight loss. 

Unintentional weight loss is defined as loss of more than 5 percent of actual body weight over 6-12 months. Sarcopenia is defined by the loss of muscle mass, strength, as well as performance. This is an advanced category of cachexia which is defined as weight loss from loss of muscle mass. Cachexia doesn't account for the fat loss. 

#geriatrics

References:

1. Wong CJ. Involuntary weight loss. Med Clin North Am 2014; 98:625. 

2. Landi F, Calvani R, Cesari M, Tosato M, Martone AM, Ortolani E, Savera G, Salini S, Sisto A, Picca A, Marzetti E. Sarcopenia: An Overview on Current Definitions, Diagnosis and Treatment. Curr Protein Pept Sci. 2018 May 14;19(7):633-638. doi: 10.2174/1389203718666170607113459. PMID: 28595526. 

3. Larsson L, Degens H, Li M, Salviati L, Lee YI, Thompson W, Kirkland JL, Sandri M. Sarcopenia: Aging-Related Loss of Muscle Mass and Function. Physiol Rev. 2019 Jan 1;99(1):427-511. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00061.2017. PMID: 30427277; PMCID: PMC6442923. 

4. Dhillon RJ, Hasni S. Pathogenesis and Management of Sarcopenia. Clin Geriatr Med. 2017 Feb;33(1):17-26. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2016.08.002. PMID: 27886695; PMCID: PMC5127276.