Sarcopenia and Frailty: Challenges in Mainstream Nephrology Practice

Limy Wong; Gustavo Duque; Lawrence P McMahon

doi:10.1016/j.ekir.2021.05.039

Sarcopenia and Frailty: Challenges in Mainstream Nephrology Practice

Kidney Int Rep. 2021 Jun 12;6(10):2554-2564. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2021.05.039. eCollection 2021 Oct.

Authors

Limy Wong^{1

2}, Gustavo Duque^{3

4}, Lawrence P McMahon^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Eastern Health Integrated Renal Service, Box Hill Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
² Department of Renal Medicine, Monash University Eastern Health Clinical School, Victoria, Australia.
³ Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), The University of Melbourne and Western Health, St. Albans, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Department of Medicine-Western Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, St. Albans, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

Sarcopenia and frailty are prevalent in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population. Sarcopenia is characterised by the loss of muscle mass and function, while frailty is defined as a multi-system impairment associated with increased vulnerability to stressors. There is substantial overlap between the 2 conditions, particularly with regards to physical aspects: low grip strength, gait speed and low muscle mass. Both sarcopenia and frailty have been associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Although there is no recommended pharmacological treatment as yet, it is widely accepted that exercise training and nutritional supplementation are the key interventions to maintain skeletal muscle mass and strength. This review aims to present a comprehensive overview of sarcopenia and frailty in patients with CKD.

Keywords: chronic kidney disease; frail; frailty; muscle atrophy; muscle wasting; sarcopenia.

Publication types

Review