Southampton researchers are highlighting the need to identify people at risk of a common muscle-wasting disease.
Sarcopenia is characterised by a loss of muscle strength, muscle mass and function, and is commonly seen in older age. As it progresses, people can become weak and frail, and it can lead to loss of independence.
A new study by local researchers has found a large proportion of older adults living in their own homes in Southampton are at risk.
With one in six people worldwide expected to be over the age of 65 years in 2050, identifying these patients will be crucial in years to come. This will mean they can be prioritised and treated before the condition has a large effect on their life.
An ageing population
Globally, the number of people aged 65 and above is expected to rise to 1.6 billion by 2050. The number of people over 80 years old is expected to triple.
This means there will be more people at risk of developing age-related diseases like sarcopenia. Identifying and treating these people early will be important to prevent their condition worsening.
To identify people most at risk in Southampton, a team of researchers aimed to find out how common signs of sarcopenia are in older adults living at home in the local area.
Working with local GPs
The team set up the Southampton Longitudinal Study of Ageing (SaLSA). Working with the Living Well Partnership (LWP), they identified a group of 480 participants (219 men and 261 women) around the age of 80 years.
Researchers and GPs worked with participants to complete the SARC-F questionnaire. This asks if they have signs of sarcopenia, such as problems with strength, walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs and a history of falls.
The results were used to generate a score for each person. Those who had a score of four or more were considered likely to have sarcopenia, with further tests needed to confirm a diagnosis.
Overall, 28 men (12.8%) and 60 women (23%) had probable sarcopenia. This suggests the disease is common among older people in Southampton.
Men, and to a lesser extent women, who were married or living with a partner were found to be less likely to have sarcopenia. Women with a higher BMI or other medical conditions were more at risk.
The results have been published in the journal JCSM Communications. Dr Harnish Patel, Associate Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Southampton and Consultant in Medicine for Older People at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), was first author.
He said: “It’s essential that we are prepared to be able to recognise sarcopenia. We will continue to work with this new Southampton-based group of older people to identify those most at risk in our local area and to identify ways we can mitigate the effects of sarcopenia.
These patients should be prioritised for further in-depth assessment for sarcopenia. It’s important that we catch them early on, before their muscle loss impacts on their functional ability.”
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