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Skeletal muscle aging

Part of: Bespoke shallow archive Weizmann

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2007

Graeme L Close ,
Philippa Haggan  and
Anne McArdle
Graeme L Close
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK
Philippa Haggan
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK
Anne McArdle*
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK
*
Address for correspondence: A McArdle, Division of Metabolic and Cellular Medicine, School of Clinical Science University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK.
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Extract

Average world life expectancy has seen a dramatic rise over the last two centuries although active life expectancy remains relatively unchanged. One reason for this is that aging results in skeletal muscle becoming smaller, weaker and more susceptible to contraction-induced injury. By the age of 70, muscle strength is reduced by around 30–40% and this can have catastrophic effects on quality of life. Despite a vast amount of research into age-related changes in skeletal muscle, the exact mechanisms responsible for this is still unclear and thus treatments to preserve muscle function with aging remain elusive.

Information

Type
Biological gerontology
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 17 , Issue 1 , February 2007 , pp. 13 - 23
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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