%0 Journal Article
%T New molecular targets and lifestyle interventions to delay aging sarcopenia
%A Fabian Sanchis-Gomar
%A Helios Pareja-Galeano
%J Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
%D 2014
%I Frontiers Media
%R 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00156
%X Abstract Loss of muscle mass and functionality leads to serious consequences for several populations. Thus, investigating preventive treatment for muscle atrophy in aging as well as in immobilized patients is an important target in clinics. Thereby, medical efforts to develop treatments to prevent acute muscle atrophy and frailty in critical patients are considered a step forward in public health. Several hormonal therapies have been proposed for this purpose, such as those based on growth hormone (hGH), IGF-1, testosterone, and stanozolol. However, the secondary effects associated with these therapies make it necessary to find non-toxic and non-hormonal therapies that help delay muscle atrophy and loss of muscle strength. In this way, elderly or bedridden patients may improve muscle function and decrease the high degree of dependence that is characteristic of these populations. New drugs, all of them approved by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and actually prescribed for the treatment of other diseases, could be useful in preventing loss of muscle mass in the described susceptible populations but new pharmacological targets are needed. Here, we propose NAD+, p16, sestrins, FGF21, irisin, myostatin, and follistatin as potential molecular targets implicated in aging and sarcopenia. On the other hand, lifestyle aspects such as mainly physical exercise are also important tools in the prevention of this pathological process. Medical efforts to develop treatments to prevent muscle dysfunction leading to sarcopenia, and eventually frailty, will be a major breakthrough in Public Health. The term sarcopenia was originally created to refer to age-related loss of muscle mass with consequent loss of strength (Morley et al., 2001). There are now 4 international definitions of sarcopenia (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2010; Muscaritoli et al., 2010; Morley et al., 2011). In essence they all agree, requiring a measure of walking capability (either low gait speed or a limited endurance [distance] in a 6-minute walk), together with an appendicular lean mass of less than 2 SDs of a sex and ethnically corrected normal level for individuals 20 to 30 years old. Sarcopenia is a prevalent health problem among the elderly. On average, 5£¿13% and 11£¿50% of people aged 60£¿70 years and ¡Ý80 years respectively suffer sarcopenia with higher prevalences (68%) been reported in nursing home residents ¡Ý70 years (Landi et al., 2012). Sarcopenia needs to be differentiated from cachexia, which is a combination of both muscle and fat loss and is usually attributable to an excess of catabolic
%K muscle atrophy
%K senescence factors
%K Signaling Pathways
%K Frailty
%K Pharmacological Targets
%U http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00156/full