Sarcopenia is a musculoskeletal condition characterized by the age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. Although less commonly seen in some infants and children, regular muscle loss typically begins in a person’s 30s or 40s (though sometimes later) as skeletal muscle mass gradually shrinks (atrophy). By their 70s, people may retain only around half the muscle mass they had in their 20s.
On average, sarcopenia affects an estimated 5 percent to 13 percent of individuals aged 60 to 70 years, with prevalence rising to 11 percent to 50 percent among those 80 and older.
