Sarcopenia is "to muscles what osteoporosis is to bones"

Sarcopenia: New disease affects thousands

There's a "new" disease on the block and its name is Sarcopenia - a muscle-wasting condition that affects one in three Australians over the age of 60.

The loss of muscle mass as we age is normal. Usually people aged 30 and over lose about four to five per cent every year.

But for some. they lose much more, affecting their function and quality of life.

Australia's leading expert on the condition and musculoskeletal research, Professor Gustavo Duque from the University of Melbourne, says Sarcopenia is excessive muscle loss associated with poor muscle function.

It is "to muscles what osteoporosis is to bones" yet doctors are often "ignorant" of the condition that has major implications for thousands of older Australians, according to Prof Duque.Sarcopenia: New disease affects thousands