Institute for Neuromusculoskeletal Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA.
Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 May;13(3):271-6. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328337819e.
The economic burden due to the sequela of sarcopenia (muscle wasting in the elderly) are staggering and rank similarly to the costs associated with osteoporotic fractures. In this article, we discuss the societal burden and determinants of the loss of physical function with advancing age, the physiologic mechanisms underlying dynapenia (muscle weakness in the elderly), and provide perspectives on related critical issues to be addressed.
Recent epidemiological findings from longitudinal aging studies suggest that dynapenia is highly associated with both mortality and physical disability even when adjusting for sarcopenia indicating that sarcopenia may be secondary to the effects of dynapenia. These findings are consistent with the physiologic underpinnings of muscle strength, as recent evidence demonstrates that alterations in muscle quantity, contractile quality and neural activation all collectively contribute to dynapenia.
Although muscle mass is essential for regulation of whole body metabolic balance, overall neuromuscular function seems to be a critical factor for maintaining muscle strength and physical independence in the elderly. The relative contribution of physiologic factors contributing to muscle weakness are not fully understood and further research is needed to better elucidate these mechanisms between muscle groups and across populations.
由于肌少症（老年人的肌肉减少）的后遗症所带来的经济负担是巨大的，与骨质疏松性骨折相关的成本相当。在本文中，我们讨论了随着年龄的增长，身体功能丧失的社会负担和决定因素、老年人肌肉力量减弱的生理机制，并提供了相关关键问题的观点。
来自纵向衰老研究的最新流行病学发现表明，即使在调整肌少症后，肌肉力量减弱与死亡率和身体残疾高度相关，这表明肌少症可能是肌肉力量减弱的继发影响。这些发现与肌肉力量的生理基础一致，因为最近的证据表明，肌肉数量、收缩质量和神经激活的改变都共同导致了肌肉力量减弱。
虽然肌肉质量对于调节全身代谢平衡至关重要，但整体神经肌肉功能似乎是老年人维持肌肉力量和身体独立性的关键因素。导致肌肉力量减弱的生理因素的相对贡献尚不完全清楚，需要进一步研究以更好地阐明这些机制在肌肉群之间和不同人群中的作用。
