Hormones and sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is defined as the combination of low muscle mass and poor muscle function in the elderly. Validated screening tests such as the SARC-F questionnaire have been developed to easily screen for the disorder. The pathogenesis is multifactorial and includes both nonendocrine factors such as genetic predispositions, inflammatory cytokines, and mitochondrial defects and various endocrine causes of sarcopenia. Understanding the molecular biology of the muscle along with the endocrine causes of sarcopenia has led in part to our current treatment of sarcopenia (vitamin D supplementation) and is furthering research into future targets including selective androgen receptor modulators and others.