Sarcopenia: clinic, diagnosis, treatment, prevention (literature review)

The strategic goal of the healthcare and social assistance system in the Russian Federation is increasing of human life expectancy. In this aspect, the importance of timely diagnosis and correction of conditions that occur in older people, one of which is sarcopenia, increases. The article presents an analysis of the current scientific literature on sarcopenia, methods of its diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Sarcopenia is characterized by a decrease of muscle tissue and strength as a result of the natural aging process of the body or in conditions of pathology. Primary sarcopenia is distinguished, which is mainly based on hormonal disorders (changes in the secretion of somatotropic hormone and cortisol), as well as a decrease in vitamin D levels. Primary sarcopenia has a more unfavorable prognosis and is more difficult to correct. Secondary sarcopenia occurs with physical inactivity, insufficient protein intake, as well as with oncopathology, intestinal diseases, cardiovascular and endocrine diseases. In this case, there is a comorbidity of pathology and a codependency of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of the atrophic process in the muscle tissue. Sarcopenia is not a rare syndrome that occurs in the practical work of specialists of various profiles. However, due to the low awareness of doctors and alertness, it is extremely rare to distinguish it as a separate syndrome. The article provides evaluation scales for the diagnosis of sarcopenia, including in quantitative terms. Insufficient diagnosis of sarcopenia in practice leads to mismanagement and insufficient drug correction of such patients. And this, in turn, prognostically worsens the course of both the underlying disease and comorbid pathology. The medical and social aspect of this condition is of particular importance. Due to the significant prevalence and association with adverse outcomes, patients with sarcopenia require dispensary supervision, timely palliative status, and medical support for a long time. The information provided is of interest to doctors of various specialties, nursing staff, social workers, and relatives of patients. Information about sarcopenic syndrome is constantly updated with new data and research in the fields of immunology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, pharmacology and nutrition.