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The Conceptual Definition of Sarcopenia: Delphi Consensus from the Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS)

  • Ben Kirk*
  • , Peggy M. Cawthon
  • , Hidenori Arai
  • , José A. Ávila-Funes
  • , Rocco Barazzoni
  • , Shalender Bhasin
  • , Ellen F. Binder
  • , Olivier Bruyere
  • , Tommy Cederholm
  • , Liang-Kung Chen
  • , Cyrus Cooper
  • , Gustavo Duque
  • , Roger A. Fielding
  • , Jack Guralnik
  • , Douglas P. Kiel
  • , Francesco Landi
  • , Jean-Yves Reginster
  • , Avan A. Sayer
  • , Marjolein Visser
  • , Stephan von Haehling
  • Jean Woo, Alfonso J. Cruz-Jentoft, The Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS) group
*Corresponding author for this work
  • University of Melbourne
  • California Pacific Medical Center
  • University of California at San Francisco
  • National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran
  • Bordeaux Population Health Research Center (BPH)
  • University of Trieste
  • Harvard University
  • Washington University St. Louis
  • University of Liege
  • Uppsala University
  • Karolinska Institutet
  • Veterans General Hospital-Taipei
  • National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
  • MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit
  • University of Oxford
  • McGill University
  • Tufts University
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore
  • Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
  • WHO Collaborating Center for Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Health and Aging
  • King Saud University
  • Newcastle University
  • Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  • Amsterdam UMC
  • University of Göttingen
  • German Centre for Cardiovascular Research
  • Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Hospital Ramon y Cajal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

Importance: Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength/function, is an important clinical condition. However, no international consensus on the definition exists. Objective: The Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS) aimed to address this by establishing the global conceptual definition of sarcopenia. Design: The GLIS steering committee was formed in 2019-21 with representatives from all relevant scientific societies worldwide. During this time, the steering committee developed a set of statements on the topic and invited members from these societies to participate in a two-phase International Delphi Study. Between 2022 and 2023, participants ranked their agreement with a set of statements using an online survey tool (SurveyMonkey). Statements were categorised based on predefined thresholds: strong agreement (>80%), moderate agreement (70-80%) and low agreement (<70%). Statements with strong agreement were accepted, statements with low agreement were rejected and those with moderate agreement were reintroduced until consensus was reached. Results: 107 participants (mean age: 54 ± 12 years [1 missing age], 64% men) from 29 countries across 7 continents/regions completed the Delphi survey. Twenty statements were found to have a strong agreement. These included; 6 statements on 'general aspects of sarcopenia' (strongest agreement: the prevalence of sarcopenia increases with age (98.3%)), 3 statements on 'components of sarcopenia' (muscle mass (89.4%), muscle strength (93.1%) and muscle-specific strength (80.8%) should all be a part of the conceptual definition of sarcopenia)) and 11 statements on 'outcomes of sarcopenia' (strongest agreement: sarcopenia increases the risk of impaired physical performance (97.9%)). A key finding of the Delphi survey was that muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle-specific strength were all accepted as 'components of sarcopenia', whereas impaired physical performance was accepted as an 'outcome' rather than a 'component' of sarcopenia. Conclusion and relevance: The GLIS has created the first global conceptual definition of sarcopenia, which will now serve to develop an operational definition for clinical and research settings.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberafae052
JournalAge and ageing
Volume53
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2024

Keywords

  • GLIS
  • conceptual
  • definitions
  • older people
  • sarcopenia

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