The Department of Geriatrics at the University Hospital Zurich is focusing on research into age-related muscle atrophy and is therefore calling for regular exercise and a protein-rich diet.
As we get older, we lose muscle mass and muscle strength. However, if the muscle loss is greater than normal for old age, this is known as sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is considered a precursor to frailty. This in turn often results in falls and loss of independence.
Around half of all people over the age of 80 are affected by sarcopenia. However, the disease creeps in much earlier, namely between the ages of 50 and 60. The course of the disease accelerates rapidly from the age of 70. Women and men are equally affected.
From a clinical point of view, sarcopenia can be divided into a primary and a secondary form. Primary sarcopenia is favored by negative lifestyle factors such as immobility and a low-protein diet. A protein-rich diet is particularly important in old age, as it supports muscle development. The protein supplies the muscles with important building blocks such as amino acids. Older people need around 25 percent more protein than younger people to maintain their bone structure and muscles.
According to Professors Robert Theiler and Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari from the Department of Geriatrics at the University Hospital Zurich, systemic diseases such as chronic inflammation, cancer, medication and nutritional deficiencies play the main role in secondary sarcopenia.
How does the USZ treat sarcopenia?
For two years now, muscle mass, bone density and muscle function can be measured using a radiological method as part of a sarcopenia consultation or the Healthy & Active Aging Check-Up. “The ultrasound method of sonography is also being evaluated,” says Bischoff-Ferrari.
How does sonography work? A standard, portable ultrasound device is combined with a simple Plexiglas reflector for the recordings. The software it contains calculates the speed of the sound waves from the ultrasonic data. This measurement takes two minutes and the patient does not have to go into the tube, as with CT or MRI. “Research into measures to prevent and treat sarcopenia has a high priority in modern ageing research with the aim of promoting ‘healthy ageing’ and averting ‘frailty’,” Bischoff-Ferrari continues.
The primary treatment goal is to eliminate causes as best as possible. “The focus is on muscle-building measures such as training programs and an increased protein intake,” says Theiler. Ideal training includes strength, balance and coordination exercises. The older the person is, the longer the training therapy lasts.
To date, there is no form of drug therapy. The Center for Ageing and Mobility at the USZ is currently conducting a study on the prevention of sarcopenia and frailty in 800 older adults. A training program and a whey protein supplement were examined.
It is therefore advisable, from the age of 50 at the latest, to follow a diet with an increased protein intake and to exercise regularly and appropriately.