Supertraining

Sarcopenic obesity: A new category of obesity in the elderly.

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2008 Apr 3. [Epub ahead of print] Links
Zamboni M, Mazzali G, Fantin F, Rossi A, Di Francesco V.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In elderly patients, age-related changes in body 
composition, as well as the increased prevalence of obesity, 
determine a combination of excess weight and reduced muscle mass or 
strength, recently defined as sarcopenic obesity (SO). This review 
examines the main studies regarding sarcopenic obesity in the 
elderly. 

DATA SYNTHESIS: Definition of SO necessarily combines those of 
sarcopenia and obesity. The prevalence of sarcopenia and SO increases 
with age. Muscle and fat mass are strongly interconnected from a 
pathogenetic point of view. A better understanding of the mechanisms 
which lead from loss of muscle mass to fat gain or vice versa from 
fat gain to muscle loss seems to be crucial. Recent data suggest that 
peptides produced by adipose tissue may play an important role in the 
pathophysiology of SO, thus more research is needed to better 
characterize this new area. Obesity and Sarcopenia in the elderly may 
potentiate each other maximizing their effects on disability, 
morbidity and mortality. Identifying elderly subjects with SO should 
be mandatory; effective treatment of sarcopenia and SO may attenuate 
its clinical impact. 

CONCLUSION: The concept of SO may help to clarify the relationship 
between obesity, morbidity and mortality in the elderly.

Jamie Carruthers
Wakefield, UK