摘要
Dear Editor,Sarcopenia is an aging-related disease characterized by progressive muscle mass loss,decreasing muscle strength,and physiological muscle function decline.It is associated with multiple adverse outcomes,including falls,fractures,physical disability,and death.The new code in ICD-10-CM(M62.84)in 2016 signifies its being recognized as a disease and drawing attention to the condition in this ever-aging society.The prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly is∼6.8%–25.7%for Asia1 and,in particular,8.9%–38.8%for China.2 The mechanism of sarcopenia is complex and includes hormonal changes,nutritional deficiencies,chronic inflammation,neuromuscular function decline,and decreased physical activity.While no specific drugs have been approved to treat sarcopenia,ten pharmacological interventions have been identified to ameliorate the condition in the elderly,including growth hormone,growth hormone-releasing hormone,vitamin D,dehydroepiandrosterone,combined estrogen–progesterone,testosterone-growth hormone,pioglitazone,testosterone,insulin-like growth factor-1,and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.3 Possible drugs for sarcopenia are under development(Table 1).4 As a result,understanding the mechanisms of sarcopenia is critical for drug development.
基金
supported by the Chinese National Science&Technology Pillar Program(Grant No.2020YFC2005600).
