and stabilizing our joints. But starting as early  as age 30, we all begin to gradually lose muscle  

mass and strength. Some of us lose it more quickly  because of a serious condition called sarcopenia,  

which becomes more common with age,  affecting 10 to 20 percent of older adults.  

It can lead to disability, loss of  independence, more frequent hospitalizations,  

the need for long-term care, and even  death. So why have you never heard of it?  

In large part, we tend to believe that our  hearing, vision, and ability to move easily  

will naturally decline as we age. The accelerated  loss of muscle mass and strength that results from  

sarcopenia doesn't have to be inevitable, but  it has been overlooked and undertreated. Many  

older adults don't realize that their difficulty  climbing the stairs or getting out of their chair,  

may be due to sarcopenia. The good news is that in  recent years, scientists and healthcare providers,  

have made major progress in understanding how  the condition works, how to diagnose it, and  

how best to treat it. So what causes sarcopenia?  It's not always clear what causes sarcopenia.  

Many things can contribute to the development of  sarcopenia. Age-related changes in the body that  

we all experience to some degree, can contribute.  This can include lower levels of certain hormones,  

declines in the body's ability to turn  protein into muscle, increased inflammation,  

interference with the signals between the brain  and the muscles, and other cellular changes.  

Environmental and lifestyle changes can also  contribute to the development of sarcopenia,  

such as inactivity and lack of exercise, prolonged  bedrest, loss of mobility, poor nutrition,  

dental and oral problems, and obesity. It's  important to note that even overweight or obese  

individuals, and those that are physically  active, can be at risk for sarcopenia.  

Chronic diseases can also contribute to  sarcopenia. These diseases can cause some  

of the cellular changes that lead to sarcopenia,  or they may interfere with a person's ability to  

eat a healthy diet and get needed exercise. How  serious is sarcopenia? Loss of muscle mass can  

affect you in many ways. Besides obviously making  you weaker, it can also affect your balance and  

ability to walk, weaken your bones and make you  frail, increase fatigue, heighten your risk of  

disease, worsen existing conditions, cause weight  gain, raise the risk of malnutrition, and more.  

These can all lead to difficulty getting around,  trouble performing normal daily activities,  

falls and bone fractures, increased  disability, diminished quality of life,  

loss of independence, more and longer hospital  visits, higher risk of post-surgical complications  

and lower rates of survival, and eventually the  need for long-term care and institutionalization.  

It's also an expensive condition, increasing  individual healthcare costs by more than $2,300  

a year for every person with sarcopenia. This  doesn't begin to include the costs that come  

with loss of independence, increased illness,  and difficulty with everyday functioning.  

How do you know if you have it? If you are age  65 or older, your healthcare provider should  

be watching for sarcopenia. Your provider may use  questionnaires to assess your risk for sarcopenia,  

that ask you things like if you ever  need to rest because of lack of strength,  

if your walking speed has slowed, if you have  difficulty rising from chairs or climbing stairs,  

and if you have fallen. They may use non-invasive  tests to measure your muscle mass, strength,  

and performance, or to potentially find the  cause of sarcopenia. How is sarcopenia treated?  

There are a number of potential treatments under  development that could interfere with the cellular  

changes that lead to sarcopenia, or that address  muscle function or fatigue from sarcopenia.  

There are also treatments that can help with  some potential underlying causes of sarcopenia,  

like malnutrition, cancer, and gastrointestinal  disorders. Scientists have also found that  

exercise and nutritional interventions, that  deliver healthy diets or nutritional supplements  

with key nutrients for muscle health,  can slow the declines from sarcopenia,  

improve physical performance, and prevent future  loss. Preventing sarcopenia can help you maintain  

function and avoid frailty. So if you're over  the age of 65, or think you may be at risk,  

make sure your healthcare professional is talking  to you about sarcopenia, and discuss any symptoms  

or risk factors you or a loved one may have. True  strength comes from taking charge of your health.