A New " Ageing Disease " !

The primary nemesis of the aged care industry is fall prevention.  Otherwise healthy people who have a fall often break bones and the older we get the slower the healing process.  Many elderly citizens suffer from osteoporosis in which the bones lack calcium and become brittle.  A fall can have a serious effect on that persons confidence and ability to maintain an active life in a care facility.

Now we are becoming aware of a new disease which is being termed sarcopenia, coined from the Greek words for " flesh " and " loss ".  It was discovered by American scientist Irwin Rosenberg in the 1980's but has not yet been recognised on the formal list of diseases known as the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.  It is expected to achieve listing about this time next year.

As a consequence, it is not a subject taught in Australian medical schools and consequently it is fairly unknown by most general practitioners and specialists, and yet some researchers believe that it may be as common as osteoporosis is in the aged community.  Perhaps as prevalent as appearing in forty percent of those aged over sixty-five.

Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of muscle mass and strength. Those suffering from it frequently walk slowly and are prone to falls.  When they attempt to arise from a chair they have a tendency to fall backwards if the seating is too low and these limitations tend to lose them confidence.  One of the known characteristics is an inability to climb or descend stairs.

There are treatments believed to be affective in both preventing and reversing  sarcopenia.  These include resistance exercise, vitamin D supplicant and increased protein in the diet.  Many aged care centres have a daily programme of exercises to prevent muscle loss but these are voluntary and many people opt out.  It is a constant battle to encourage activities which prevent age deterioration, and at the same time deliver the freedom of choice which is so important in age care.

We have an ageing population and this is a growth industry predicted to become huge in the latter half of this twenty first century. Falls that result in broken bones are often the issue that sees patient needs change from a place in an active aged care facility, to a bed in a nursing home.  If we can prevent the onset of sarcopenia it can have a dramatic effect on health care costs and deliver a better and freer style of living to many in active aged care.

It is important that Sarcopenia be added to that important list of aged ailments and treated alongside osteoporosis as these appear to be relatively tandem diseases. A relatively small change in lifestyle is capable of delivering a huge improvement in life quality for the aged !