Application of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in Assessment, Management and Prognosis of Older Adult Patients with Sarcopenia: A Review of Research Progress and Practice.

Abstract

Background: With prevalence rising from 5 to 13% (60-70 years) to as high as 50% (>80 years), sarcopenia is associated with frailty, falls, and up to a 41% 3-year mortality in high-risk cohorts. Early recognition is hampered by variability in definitions and limited access to imaging in many regions.

Summary: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) offers an integrated framework - spanning physical, functional, cognitive, psychological, and social domains - to improve the screening, diagnosis, and longitudinal monitoring of sarcopenia in older adults.

Key messages: (1) CGA-guided care enables tailored interventions that combine protein-rich nutrition, progressive-resistance exercise and - in selected cases - emerging pharmacological agents. (2) Economic analyses indicate CGA can be cost-neutral or cost-saving when targeted to high-risk groups, but workforce requirements challenge its scalability outside well-resourced centers. (3) Evidence remains heterogeneous and drawn largely from urban, high-income settings; caution is required when generalizing outcomes to rural or low-resource environments. (4) Future research should standardize a muscle-specific CGA core set, test implementation in diverse health systems, and evaluate digital tools that reduce staff time without widening the digital divide.