Recent Advances in Understanding Multimorbidity and Sarcopenia in the Elderly

Abstract

The aged often have multimorbidity, which arises from the decline in organ functioning and heightened vulnerability to illnesses. Sarcopenia, an advancing and widespread skeletal muscle illness, has common risk factors with many chronic disorders that are common among this population. The simultaneous presence of many chronic conditions and age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, known as multimorbidity and sarcopenia respectively, often worsens physical weakness and functional impairment in older individuals, significantly compromising their overall well-being. While most current studies primarily focus on the connection between individual illnesses and sarcopenia, there is a lack of research that investigates the relationship between several health conditions and sarcopenia. This review examines the existing comprehension of the interaction between multimorbidity and sarcopenia, with the goal of identifying areas of limited information and proposing potential avenues for future research.

Keywords

• elderly
• chronic diseases
• multimorbidity
• sarcopenia