An Indian Consensus on Sarcopenia: Epidemiology, Etiology, Clinical Impact, Screening, and Therapeutic Approaches

Sanjay Kalra,1 Irfan A Shaikh,2 Sachin Shende,2 Nitin Kapoor,3 AG Unnikrishnan,4 OP Sharma,5 Mangesh H Tiwaskar,6 Agam Vora,7 Suneet Kumar Verma,8 Viny Kantroo,9 Prashant Mehta,10 Daphnee Lovesley,11 Nandakumar Sivakumar,12 Bharat Bhushan Kukreja,13 Kiran Kulkarni,14 Ankita Deora2 1Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital, Karnal, Haryana, India; 2Department of Medical Affairs & Research, Abbott Healthcare Pvt Ltd., Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; 3Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India; 4Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Chellaram Diabetes Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, India; 5Department of Geriatric Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, India; 6Department of Diabetology, Shilpa Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; 7Department of Respiratory Medicine, Vora Clinic, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; 8Department of Internal Medicine, Sparsh Clinic & Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula, Haryana, India; 9Department of Respiratory, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, India; 10Department of Medical Oncology & Haematology & BMT, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad, Haryana, India; 11Department of Dietetics, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; 12Department of Critical Care Medicine, Royal Care Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India; 13Department of Medicine, Marwari Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India; 14Department of Sports & Exercise Medicine, All India Football Federation, Dharwad, Karnataka, IndiaCorrespondence: Sanjay Kalra, Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital, Wazir Chand Colony, Kunjpura Road, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India, Tel +91-9896048555, Email [email protected]: The burden of sarcopenia in India continues to be of significant concern. Its diagnosis is challenging due to the lack of standardized cutoffs for assessing muscle strength, quantity, and function among Indians. This consensus aims to identify features of sarcopenia in Indians and provide culturally relevant recommendations for its management. An expert panel from diverse medical specialties across India arrived at a consensus using the modified Delphi method. The panel recommended that a baseline handgrip strength (HGS) cutoff value of < 27.5 kg in males and 18.0 kg in females be defined as low muscle strength for the Indian population. All patients with comorbidities should be screened for sarcopenia. In people with sarcopenia, resistance exercise and nutrition with specialized nutrients such as protein, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), and micronutrients for at least 3 months were recommended as key interventions.Keywords: dynamometer, muscle strength, medical nutrition therapy, sarcopenia, handgrip strength