Primary sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome characterised by age-related decline in muscle strength, mass, and quality. Our analysis of >430,000 UK Biobank participants between 40 and 82 years of age revealed a clear sexual dimorphism in arm muscle ageing. While age-related strength decline was broadly comparable between sexes, muscle mass loss was considerably more pronounced in males. As a result, age-related muscle quality decline was found to be substantially greater in females. These general trends held cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and persisted after accounting for systematic size differences between sexes. These findings have important implications for the diagnosis and management of primary sarcopenia, a syndrome associated with reduced quality of life and significant social burden.

Authors:
Thomas Fieldsend, King's College London, United Kingdom
Nick Dand, King's College London, United Kingdom
Callum O'Neill, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Helen Ogden, University of Southampton, United Kingdom
Simon Hughes, King's College London, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Thomas Fieldsend is a Research Associate in the Muscle Growth and Repair Group at King's College London.

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