Study Sheds Light on How Mitochondrial Changes Contribute to Muscle Aging
As an individual grows older, they experience continued loss of strength and skeletal muscle mass. Once an adult reaches 40, they start losing roughly 8% of their muscle mass every 10 years. By age 70, this often rises to 15% loss in muscle mass every 10 years. Muscle loss, commonly referred to as sarcopenia, is linked to a heightened risk of disability and mortality in the elderly. It causes frailty, which significantly reduces an individual’s quality of life. While the main cause of sarcopenia isn’t known, researchers posit that mitochondrial dysfunction could help explain its development. Prior studies have determined…