There is a lack of robust evidence to assess the strength of other treatment options
Objectives Sarcopenia , defined as an age-associated loss of skeletal muscle function and muscle mass , occurs in approximately 6 - 22 % of older adults .
This paper presents evidence -based clinical practice guidelines for screening , diagnosis and management of sarcopenia from the task force of the International Conference on Sarcopenia and Frailty Research ( ICSFR ) .
Anamorelin for patients with cancer cachexia: an integrated analysis of two phase 2, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials.
BACKGROUND Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome is associated with increased morbidity and mortality . Anamorelin is an oral ghrelin-receptor agonist with appetite-enhancing and anabolic activity . We assessed the effects of anamorelin on body composition , strength , quality of life , biochemical markers , and safety in patients with cancer anorexia-cachexia . METHODS Data were pooled , a priori , from two completed phase 2 , multicentre , placebo-controlled , double-blind trials in patients with advanced or incurable cancer and weight loss of 5 % or more . Patients were stratified by weight loss severity ( 5 - 15 % , > 15 % ) and r and omly allocated ( 1:1 ) with a computer-generated r and omisation schedule to anamorelin hydrochloride 50 mg or placebo once-daily for 12 weeks . Primary outcome was lean body mass by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry over the 12 week treatment period in eligible patients who had at least one dose of study drug and post-treatment efficacy assessment .  We assessed safety in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug . The trials are registered with Clinical Trials.gov , numbers NCT00219817 and NCT00267358 . FINDINGS Between June 29 , 2005 , and Oct 26 , 2006 , we enrolled 44 patients in the anamorelin group and 38 patients in the placebo group . 74 patients were eligible for the efficacy analyses . Over 12 weeks , lean body mass increased in 38 patients in the anamorelin group by a least-squares mean of 1.89 kg ( 95 % CI 0.84 to 2.95 ) compared with a decrease of a least-squares mean of -0.20 kg ( -1.23 to 0.83 ) for 36 patients in the placebo group ( difference 2.09 kg [ 0.94 - 3.25 ] ; p=0.0006 ) . 42 ( 95 % ) of 44 patients treated with anamorelin and 33 ( 87 % ) of 38 patients treated with placebo had adverse events . The most common grade 3 - 4 adverse events ( treatment-related or not ) in the anamorelin group were fatigue , asthenia , atrial fibrillation , and dyspnoea ( two [ 5 % ] each ) ; in the placebo group , such events were pneumonia ( three [ 8 % ] ) and anaemia , thrombocytopenia , abdominal pain , anxiety , and dyspnoea ( two [ 5 % ] each ) . INTERPRETATION Anamorelin treatment for 12 weeks had a favourable clinical response profile in patients with cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome . These findings support further investigation in this setting . FUNDING Helsinn Therapeutics ( US ) , Helsinn Healthcare SA
There is a lack of robust evidence to assess the strength of other treatment options
Objectives Sarcopenia , defined as an age-associated loss of skeletal muscle function and muscle mass , occurs in approximately 6 - 22 % of older adults .
This paper presents evidence -based clinical practice guidelines for screening , diagnosis and management of sarcopenia from the task force of the International Conference on Sarcopenia and Frailty Research ( ICSFR ) .