For Healthcare Providers

Sarcopenia: assessment of disease burden and strategies to improve outcomes

I. Liguori, G. Russo, L. Aran, et al.

Clin Interv Aging. 2018;13:913-927

Because sarcopenia is associated with important adverse health outcomes, such as frailty, hospitalization, and mortality, several therapeutic strategies have been identified that involve exercise training, nutritional supplementation, hormonal therapies, and novel strategies and are still under investigation.

At the present time, only physical exercise has showed a positive effect in managing and preventing sarcopenia and its adverse health outcomes. Thus, further well-designed and well-conducted studies on sarcopenia are needed.

 

 

Mediterranean Diet and Musculoskeletal-Functional Outcomes in Community-Dwelling Older People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

R. Silva, N. Pizato, F. da Mata, et al.

J Nutr Health Aging. 2018;22(6):655-663

A Mediterranean diet is protective of frailty and functional disability, but not of sarcopenia. More longitudinal studies are needed to understand the relationship between a Mediterranean diet and sarcopenia.

 

 

Exercise interventions in healthy older adults with sarcopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

L. Vlietstra, W. Hendrickx, D.L. Waters

Australas J Ageing. 2018 Apr 11. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12521. [Epub ahead of print]

Exercise interventions significantly improved strength, balance and muscle mass. However, the number of trials was small and the training effect was inconsistent due to heterogeneity in exercise mode, duration and intensity. Lack of detailed description makes it impossible to reflect on the progressive resistance training approaches used. More research is needed to confirm these findings.

 

 

Frailty and multimorbidity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

D.L. Vetrano, K. Palmer, A. Marengoni, et al.

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2018 May 3. doi: 10.1093/gerona/gly110. [Epub ahead of print]

Frailty and multimorbidity are two related conditions in older adults. Most frail individuals are also multimorbid but fewer multimorbid ones present also frailty.

Our findings are not conclusive regarding the causal association between the two conditions. Further longitudinal and well-designed studies may help to untangle the relationship between frailty and multimorbidity.

 

 

Management of Frailty at Individual Level - Clinical Management: Systematic Literature Review

G. Veninšek and B. Gabrovec

Zdr Varst. 2018;57(2):106-115

Comprehensive geriatric assessment is an effective way to decrease frailty status especially when performed in geriatric wards. Multicomponent physical training and multidimensional interventions (physical training, nutrition, vitamin D supplementation and cognitive training) are effective measures to reduce frailty.

 

 

The Impact of Dietary Factors on Indices of Chronic Disease in Older People: A Systematic Review

C.A. Nowson, C. Service, J. Appleton, et al.

J Nutr Health Aging. 2018;22(2):282-296

The aims of this sudy were to i) conduct a systematic review of studies assessing dietary factors in relation to six key functional indicators which impact on quality of life in adults ≥65 yrs: non-fatal cardiovascular events, cognition, mental health, falls and fractures, physical health (muscle mass, strength) and frailty; and ii) assess if there was sufficient evidence to devise food-based dietary recommendations.

 

 

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