Muscle mass decreases with age, leading to "sarcopenia," or low relative muscle mass, in elderly people. Sarcopenia is believed to be associated with metabolic, physiologic, and functional impairments and disability. Methods of estimating the prevalence of sarcopenia and its associated risks in elderly populations are lacking. Data from a population-based survey of 883 elderly Hispanic and non-Hispanic white men and women living in New Mexico (the New Mexico Elder Health Survey, 1993-1995) were analyzed to develop a method for estimating the prevalence of sarcopenia. An anthropometric equation for predicting appendicular skeletal muscle mass was developed from a random subsample (n = 199) of participants and was extended to the total sample. Sarcopenia was defined as appendicular skeletal muscle mass (kg)/height2 (m2) being less than two standard deviations below the mean of a young reference group. Prevalences increased from 13-24% in persons under 70 years of age to >50% in persons over 80 years of age, and were slightly greater in Hispanics than in non-Hispanic whites. Sarcopenia was significantly associated with self-reported physical disability in both men and women, independent of ethnicity, age, morbidity, obesity, income, and health behaviors. This study provides some of the first estimates of the extent of the public health problem posed by sarcopenia.
"Sarcopenia," or muscle loss, continues to occur into old age, and may have significant impacts on physical function and health status. New anthropometric techniques are needed for assessing muscle loss with age.
Serum albumin concentrations decrease with age and values < 38 g/L are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and disability in the elderly. It is not clear to what extent the decreases are associated independently with changes in metabolism, dietary intake, physical activity, morbidity, or body composition. We examined associations of serum albumin with age, protein and energy intakes, physical activity, morbidity, and muscle mass in 275 men and women aged 60-95 y. Serum albumin was measured with the bromcresol green procedure. Usual dietary intake and physical activity were quantified through questionnaires. Morbidity was ascertained from medical history, questionnaire, and examination. Muscle mass was estimated from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. In multivariate analyses, serum albumin was associated significantly with muscle mass after age, protein intake, physical activity, and comorbidity were controlled for in men and women. This study suggests that decreases with age in serum albumin concentrations are associated with muscle loss (sarcopenia) in the elderly. This association is independent of other factors that may affect muscle mass and albumin concentration. We suggest that the increased risk of disability with low serum albumin concentrations observed in the elderly may actually reflect an association with sarcopenia.
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