SARCOPENIA, AGING AND QUALITY OF LIFE: CHALLENGES FOR THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS

Population aging increases the need for healthcare models capable of preserving autonomy, functional capacity, and social participation. In this context, sarcopenia, characterized by a progressive decline in muscle strength associated with a reduction in muscle quantity or quality and, in severe cases, impaired physical performance, represents a relevant issue for clinical practice, public health, and healthcare service management. This article discusses the relationships between sarcopenia, healthy aging, frailty, social determinants of health, and quality of life, emphasizing their implications for prevention, early diagnosis, planning, and the sustainability of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). This is a narrative, theoretical, and documentary review, prioritizing publications from 2020 to 2026 and incorporating recent Brazilian and international studies. Evidence indicates an association between sarcopenia and poorer quality of life, functional decline, dependency, and increased vulnerability, although its effects are modulated by socioeconomic conditions, support networks, multimorbidity, nutrition, and opportunities for physical activity. The article argues that the SUS response should shift its focus from isolated diagnosis to the preservation of functional capacity through opportunistic screening in primary healthcare, multidimensional assessment, combined interventions, healthcare network integration, continuing education, and the use of functional indicators in planning. It concludes that preventing and managing sarcopenia is simultaneously a strategy for promoting healthy aging, improving the quality of care, and rationalizing resource utilization, without reducing the right to health to a merely economic rationale.