Sarcopenic obesity in older people

Abstract

Senility is strongly associated with changes in body composition. Sarcopenic obesity (SO) consists of symptoms such as increased body fat mass and a reduction in muscle strength and/or mass. Material and methods: The review covered treatment methods and diagnostic criteria used in SO patients. Moreover, the impact of SO on the health of older people was reviewed. Papers from the Science Direct and PubMed databases were analysed. The following keywords were used: “sarcopenic obesity”, “diagnostic”, “treatment”, “elderly”, and “physical therapy”. The inclusion criteria encompassed research studies on SO in older people. To be precise, the review included papers from January 2015 to March 2020, and the review itself was carried out from March to April 2020. Results: Out of over 1,200 SO articles, 18 met all inclusion and exclusion criteria. All of the chosen papers were divided into two main groups. The first group contained papers about SO’s impact on the health of older people. The second comprised works about SO treatment methods. The most commonly used SO diagnostic indicators were: BMI (25kg/m2–30kg/m2), BF% (27%–42%), SMI (x < 24%–27%; SMI 0.789), and ALST (x < 15.02 kg). SO was also assessed via the use of algorithms. Conclusions: Sarcopenic obesity is a common syndrome related to body composition in older people. Currently, SO patients can be effectively treated with aerobic and resistance training, whole-body electromyostimulations (WB-EMS), supplements, and psychological interventions. Due to the great impact of SO on people’s health, future studies should concentrate on systematising the diagnostic criteria for SO.