Richard Dodds

Sarcopenia describes the accelerated loss of skeletal muscle, manifesting as a combination of low muscle strength and low muscle mass. Frailty can be described as the collective deterioration of multiple body systems, leading to reduced ability to maintain homeostasis and respond to physiological stresses placed upon the body. Frailty and sarcopenia are common, especially in hospitalized older people, and also occur at younger ages in the setting of multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity).

Abstract Background Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle strength and mass, predicts adverse outcomes and becomes common with age. There is recognition that sarcopenia may occur at younger ages in those with long‐term conditions (LTCs) as well as those with multimorbidity (the presence of two or more LTCs), but their relationships have been little explored.