Sarcopenia and frailty in older patients with diabetes mellitus

Sarcopenia is defined as age‐associated loss of muscle mass and function, and is frequently accompanied by diabetes mellitus ( DM ) in older adults. Some of the mechanisms of the development of sarcopenia including insulin resistance, chronic inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction are also associated with the pathogenesis of DM . Sarcopenia provides the basis for frailty, which is a state that is highly vulnerable to stressors, and can lead to disability, dependency and mortality, and older DM patients are often in a state of frailty. Given the background of an increasing number of older DM patients, the screening and early detection of sarcopenia/frailty and appropriate intervention would be expected to improve the prognosis and quality of life in older patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 293–299.