Halfpoint / Getty ImagesWeight training helps slow down age-related muscle lossHalfpoint / Getty Images
A team from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) has proposed a change to the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia, a musculoskeletal disease that increases the risk of falls and can be fatal. The researchers analyzed the strength of 7,065 people aged 50 and older who took part in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Elderly Health (ELSI-Brasil), concluding that the cutoff values established by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) may be too low. Under the European group’s criteria, only men with a grip strength of less than 27 kilograms (kg) and women with a grip strength of less than 16 kg advance to the second diagnostic step (a muscle mass assessment). The São Carlos team proposed new thresholds: below 36 kg for men and 23 kg for women. With these new cutoff values, the prevalence of people diagnosed with sarcopenia quadrupled and severe cases rose from 3.8% to 8.8% compared to the limits recommended by the EWGSOP2. Risk factors for sarcopenia were also identified, including poor nutrition, old age, low income, and a sedentary lifestyle. A diverse, protein-rich diet and regular physical exercise, especially resistance training like weightlifting, can help prevent muscle loss, which tends to increase after age 30 (Cadernos de Saúde Pública, June 27).
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