Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis

Writing Group European Working Group, Extended Group EWGSOP2, Jos Schols

Research output: Contribution to journalErratum / corrigendum / retractionsAcademic

Abstract

Background in 2010, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) published a sarcopenia definition that aimed to foster advances in identifying and caring for people with sarcopenia. In early 2018, the Working Group met again (EWGSOP2) to update the original definition in order to reflect scientific and clinical evidence that has built over the last decade. This paper presents our updated findings.

Objectives to increase consistency of research design, clinical diagnoses and ultimately, care for people with sarcopenia.

Recommendations sarcopenia is a muscle disease (muscle failure) rooted in adverse muscle changes that accrue across a lifetime; sarcopenia is common among adults of older age but can also occur earlier in life. In this updated consensus paper on sarcopenia, EWGSOP2: (1) focuses on low muscle strength as a key characteristic of sarcopenia, uses detection of low muscle quantity and quality to confirm the sarcopenia diagnosis, and identifies poor physical performance as indicative of severe sarcopenia; (2) updates the clinical algorithm that can be used for sarcopenia case-finding, diagnosis and confirmation, and severity determination and (3) provides clear cut-off points for measurements of variables that identify and characterise sarcopenia.

Conclusions EWGSOP2's updated recommendations aim to increase awareness of sarcopenia and its risk. With these new recommendations, EWGSOP2 calls for healthcare professionals who treat patients at risk for sarcopenia to take actions that will promote early detection and treatment. We also encourage more research in the field of sarcopenia in order to prevent or delay adverse health outcomes that incur a heavy burden for patients and healthcare systems.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)601
Number of pages1
JournalAge and Ageing
Volume48
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2019

Keywords

  • sarcopenia
  • muscle strength
  • physical performance
  • muscle assessment
  • EWGSOP2
  • older people
  • SKELETAL-MUSCLE MASS
  • BIOELECTRICAL-IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS
  • OF-LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE
  • LOWER-EXTREMITY FUNCTION
  • ADIPOSE-TISSUE VOLUMES
  • DWELLING OLDER-PEOPLE
  • ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY
  • COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY
  • GRIP STRENGTH
  • GAIT SPEED
  • Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis

    Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Bahat, G., Bauer, J., Boirie, Y., Bruyere, O., Cederholm, T., Cooper, C., Landi, F., Rolland, Y., Sayer, A. A., Schneider, S. M., Sieber, C. C., Topinkova, E., Vandewoude, M., Visser, M., Zamboni, M., Writing Group European Working Group, Extended Group EWGSOP2 & Schols, J., Jan 2019, In: Age and Ageing. 48, 1, p. 16-31 16 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Open Access

Cite this