Advancing from Sarcopenia to Muscle Health: Progress and Challenges in Promoting Healthy Aging

The rapid expansion of the global elderly population, along with rising life expectancy, has elevated sarcopenia to a critical public health issue. Sarcopenia, defined by the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and functionality, constitutes a significant risk factor for a series of detrimental outcomes among older people. These consequences encompass falls, fractures, functional impairments, hospital admissions, transitions to nursing home care, and increased mortality rates. Collectively, these factors diminish quality of life while amplifying the strain on healthcare systems. Sarcopenia is a major threat to healthy aging and a geriatric syndrome. In this context, there is necessity to enhance diagnostic methodologies, develop innovative preventive measures, and optimize therapeutic and management strategies for sarcopenia. A key focus has also been on ensuring that these advancements are practical, accessible, and adaptable across varying care contexts, including community settings, outpatient services, and hospital environments from countries with different levels of income.This research initiative seeks to contribute to the advancement of knowledge regarding public health strategies, policy assessments, and development and validation of screening, assessment, and treatment interventions aimed at enhancing muscle health and mitigating the prevalence of sarcopenia. The primary ambition is to identify effective methodologies that support early detection and management of sarcopenia through practical tools, contextually responsive strategies, and interdisciplinary collaboration models. Central objectives include the evaluation of innovative approaches for promoting muscle health, preventing the deterioration of skeletal muscle mass, and reducing the risk of functional dependence. Furthermore, this inquiry extends to exploring the interconnection between sarcopenia or muscle mass and various dimensions such as quality of life, biopsychosocial factors, and economic implications.We invite contributions that explore a range of topics, including but not limited to: - The development, implementation, and evaluation of early screening and assessment tools for sarcopenia or muscle mass. - The consequences of delayed detection on sarcopenia progression, along with its effects on quality of life, biopsychosocial well-being, and economic factors. - Approaches to enhance early detection efforts and improve referral processes in primary care and community settings. - Promoting multidisciplinary collaboration to facilitate integrative, multi-component or multi-domain interventions.- Public health practices, educational initiatives, and policy frameworks that promote muscle health on a broader scale. - Identify of social and contextual determinants influencing the onset and progression of sarcopenia.We welcome submissions across various article types, such as original research, implementation studies, reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, policy and practice reviews, clinical studies, community case studies and perspectives. These should offer practical strategies or evidence aimed at improving early detection of muscle mass loss and preventing sarcopenia, thereby promoting healthy aging. Topic editors: Milena Moraes, Carla Soraya Maia, Rafael Pizarro-Mena, Isabel Barrientos-Calvo Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79391/advancing-from-sarcopenia-to-muscle-health-progress-and-challenges-in-promoting-healthy-aging