Advancing Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Treatment

Sarcopenia, characterized by the progressive decline of muscle mass plus low muscle strength or/and low physical performance, exhibits increasing prevalence concurrent with aging. The Taiwan Advisory Panel for Sarcopenia (TAPS) was established with the objective of advancing the diagnosis and clinical management of sarcopenia in Taiwan, based on the consensus guidelines formulated by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) in 2019 as a framework. Although the AWGS 2019 consensus has proposed diagnostic algorithms across different healthcare settings, the recommendations for treatment regimens remain relatively limited due to insufficient scientific evidence. To enhance sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment in Taiwan, TAPS recommends (1) the maintenance of adequate dietary protein consumption at 1.2 g/kg/day; (2) healthcare professionals are advised to perform diagnosis of sarcopenia using the AWGS 2019 algorithm and furnish the requisite interventions, giving due consideration to underlying chronic conditions; (3) undiminished vigilance in screening for sarcopenia not solely among community-dwelling older adults, but also individuals exhibiting disabling or wasting conditions; (4) initiation of oral nutritional supplementation using ingredients with efficacy to promote muscle health when the dietary intake fails to meet the daily requirement; and (5) the supplementation of β-hydroxy β-methylbutyric acid (HMB), in light of superior empirically-substantiated benefits, for older people with or at-risk for sarcopenia (up to 3 g for sarcopenia, up to 1.5 g for possible sarcopenia, and up to 0.75 g for those at risk for sarcopenia). Overall, the TAPS recommendations delineate clinical strategies customized for compatibility with Taiwan's healthcare ecosystem. Notwithstanding the necessity of further research, these recommendations harbor the potential to appreciably advance the care of sarcopenia at the present juncture.