Prevalence and health implications of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in Canada

Low muscle mass also termed sarcopenia is prevalent among people of elder age and leads to a loss of physical function and independence, decreased quality of life, and increased morbidity and mortality. With the increasing prevalence of obesity among elder adults, the prevalence of combined sarcopenia and obesity (sarcopenic obesity) is on the rise. Evidence suggests people who have both these conditions have poorer overall health. To date, no population studies have been done in Canadian older adults to investigate the prevalence and impact of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity. Sarcopenia will be officially recognized as a disease as of October 2016, but its diagnosis remains debatable. We propose to use the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to explore diagnostic criteria, as well as the prevalence and health implications of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in Canada.