A focus shift from sarcopenia to muscle health in the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2025 Consensus Update

Nat Aging. 2025 Nov;5(11):2164-2175. doi: 10.1038/s43587-025-01004-y. Epub 2025 Nov 4.

Abstract

The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) presents an updated 2025 consensus reframing sarcopenia management through a life-course approach to muscle health promotion. While aligning with the Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS), this update provides healthcare providers with Asia-specific guidance. The consensus introduces three key refinements: first, expanding sarcopenia diagnosis to middle-aged adults (50‒64 years) with validated diagnostic thresholds; second, simplifying the diagnostic algorithm to require only concurrent low muscle mass and strength, with physical performance as an outcome measure; and third, introducing an enhanced muscle health framework recognizing skeletal muscle as vital for healthy longevity, emphasizing cross-talk with brain, bone, adipose tissue and immune systems. This framework leverages the World Health Organization's Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) implementation for enhanced case-finding through natural overlap between muscle health and ICOPE's intrinsic capacity domains. The consensus provides evidence-based recommendations for multimodal interventions that combine resistance exercise with nutritional supplementation, representing advancement toward proactive muscle health promotion and establishing a framework for reducing age-related decline in Asian populations.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Asia
  • Asian People
  • Consensus
  • Health Promotion
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle Strength
  • Muscle, Skeletal* / physiology
  • Muscle, Skeletal* / physiopathology
  • Sarcopenia* / diagnosis
  • Sarcopenia* / physiopathology
  • Sarcopenia* / therapy