Sarcopenia: What Every NP Needs to Know
Sarcopenia: What Every NP Needs to Know
This review underscores the effort needed to address the importance of a healthy diet and increased physical activity with older adult patients. We now have evidence that the sedentary lifestyle, increased body fatness, and chronic illness profile of many older adults exaggerates inflammation, insulin resistance, nutritional deficiencies, and muscle degradation. Counseling the individual with sarcopenia about exercise and a healthy diet may prevent further deterioration in health, falls, fractures, frailty, and a loss of independent living. Referral to a nutrition expert who will follow anthropometric measurements and discuss dietary preferences is highly recommended. A referral to an exercise specialist may lead to increased strength and lean body mass that yields a longer period of independence and functional mobility relative to sedentary age-matched peers who never adopted strength training (Table 3). A 2-fold approach is necessary to address these challenges and includes improved public health education regarding the importance of exercise and nutrition and more accurate and timely diagnoses by health care providers. This is critical for the implementation of effective interventions. As gatekeepers of primary care, NPs can be part of the solution to this significant health care challenge.
Conclusions
This review underscores the effort needed to address the importance of a healthy diet and increased physical activity with older adult patients. We now have evidence that the sedentary lifestyle, increased body fatness, and chronic illness profile of many older adults exaggerates inflammation, insulin resistance, nutritional deficiencies, and muscle degradation. Counseling the individual with sarcopenia about exercise and a healthy diet may prevent further deterioration in health, falls, fractures, frailty, and a loss of independent living. Referral to a nutrition expert who will follow anthropometric measurements and discuss dietary preferences is highly recommended. A referral to an exercise specialist may lead to increased strength and lean body mass that yields a longer period of independence and functional mobility relative to sedentary age-matched peers who never adopted strength training (Table 3). A 2-fold approach is necessary to address these challenges and includes improved public health education regarding the importance of exercise and nutrition and more accurate and timely diagnoses by health care providers. This is critical for the implementation of effective interventions. As gatekeepers of primary care, NPs can be part of the solution to this significant health care challenge.
