Age‐associated decline of muscle mass, grip strength and gait speed: A 4‐year longitudinal study of 3018 community‐dwelling older <scp>C</scp>hinese

<jats:sec><jats:title>Aims</jats:title><jats:p>Studies about sarcopenia in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>sia are fewer, and started later than in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>urope and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>merica. We attempted to examine the decline in muscle mass, grip strength and gait speed in a cohort of older <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>hinese prospectively over 4 years.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>We recruited 4000 community‐living <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>hinese older than 64 years, and measured their appendicular skeletal mass (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ASM</jats:styled-content>) by dual‐energy <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">X</jats:styled-content>‐ray absorptiometry, grip strength, and gait speed at baseline and after 2 years. Muscle mass and gait speed were additionally measured after 4 years.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>After 4 years, 3018 participants completed all the measurements. The annualized decline in grip strength (−0.798 kg/year <jats:italic>vs</jats:italic> −1.239 kg/year) and gait speed (−0.019 m/s/year <jats:italic>vs</jats:italic> – 0.025 m/s/year) was faster in women than in men. Muscle mass was relatively preserved in comparison with grip strength and gait speed. The percentage loss of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ASM</jats:styled-content> in 4 years was −1.59% and −2.02% in men and women, respectively. The percentage decline in gait speed after 4 years was −8.2% in men and −9.0% in women. However, the decline in grip strength was more rapid, particularly in women, which was −10.0% in 2 years and less so in men, −3.85% in 2 years.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>Compared with black people and white people, the older <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>hinese have less muscle mass, weaker grip strength and slower gait speed. Although the rate of loss of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ASM</jats:styled-content> was modest, the decline in gait speed was rapid and the decline in grip strength was particularly fast in older <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>hinese women. <jats:bold>Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14 (Suppl. 1): 76–84.</jats:bold></jats:p></jats:sec>