Opinion Article

Sarcopenia in Hemiplegia

Maria C. Papadatou^1,2

1. National Center of Rehabilitation, Athens, Greece
2. National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laboratory Research of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Greece

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Keywords: Disability, Muscle strength, Muscle wasting, Sarcopenia, Stroke

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Abstract

Sarcopenia is a disease characterized by quantitative and qualitative degeneration of the skeletal muscles and it primarily presents with a decline in the muscle strength. It frequently occurs in patients after a cerebrovascular accident due to a combination of various factors, such as the brain injury, structural adaptations, limited physical activity as long as malnutrition. Most of the articles and reviews concerning stroke-related sarcopenia are limited and usually are discussing about the factors and causes that may lead to the muscle wasting and the particular characteristics that distinguish it from age-related sarcopenia. As a result, even though sarcopenia is described as a medical entity, it appears to lack the attention that requires, limiting the maximum therapeutic effect a patient can obtain. Suggestions have been made concerning general treatment and management of sarcopenia, associated with exercise, diet and the use of medical preparations, lacking though disease-specific guidelines for management, treatment and possibly prevention of stroke-related sarcopenia. Nowadays, it is considered of major importance that the medical community should be properly informed and to raise awareness on this particular issue aiming to a better and holistic management of the patients after a cerebrovascular accident, in order to reduce morbidity and disability that both are sequelae that reduce quality of life.

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This article has been corrected with the following Corrigendum

Corrigendum to: Sarcopenia in Hemiplegia, JFSF Vol 7, No 4, December 2022, p.257