Ghrelin hormone for sarcopenia in the elderly population
The ghrelin hormone could play a protective role against muscle loss in the elderly population. With the aging sarcopenia (loss of mass and muscle strength associated with age), which is associated with poor balance, the increased risk of falls and fractures, motor problems and loss of independence, leads to a deterioration in the living conditions of the elderly person. This study evaluated the effects of an acylated form of the ghreline hormone on older mice, and observed that it improves muscle mass and function, without any change in appetite, body weight or adipose tissue. These results indicate that this hormone may represent possible future therapeutic treatments for sarcopenia.
Reference:
Agosti E, De Feudis M, Angelino E, Belli R, Alves Teixeira M, Zaggia I, Tamiso E, Raiteri T, Scircoli A, Ronzoni FL, Muscaritoli M, Graziani A, Prodam F, et al. Both ghrelin deletion and unacylated ghrelin overexpression preserve muscles in aging mice. Aging (Albany NY). 2020; 12:13939-13957. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.103802
