Detection and Treatment of Sarcopenia and Myosteatosis in Older African Americans
Purpose
The objectives of this study are to: 1) validate a rapid, portable, cost-effective method for screening myosteatosis and sarcopenia using diagnostic ultrasound, and 2) investigate a novel approach to progressive resistance exercise involving eccentric muscle actions that will counter the local effects of myosteatosis and sarcopenia in African Americans.
Condition
- Sarcopenia
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 85 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- An African American adult. - Between 18 and 30 years of age, or between 65 and 85 years of age. - Able to independently walk at home and in your community (use of an assistive device like a cane or a walker is acceptable).
Exclusion Criteria
- Uncontrolled hypertension or other cardiovascular disease. - A Body Mass Index of 32.5 or above may be an exclusion criterion if the X-ray technician determines that dimensions of the scanning bed are not adequate for a reliable examination. - A musculoskeletal condition that would stop you from performing the physical assessment tests. - Muscle weakness due to neurological disease or injury (such as stroke or spinal cord injury). - Moderate to severe sepsis (blood infection) or edema (such as swelling of a limb). - Been hospitalized over the last three months. - History of a broken arm or leg bone because of osteoporosis.
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Eccentric Exercise |
Supervised strengthening exercise using eccentric muscle actions. |
|
|
Active Comparator Concentric Exercise |
Supervised strengthening exercise using concentric muscle actions. |
|
More Details
- Status
- Active, not recruiting
- Sponsor
- VA Office of Research and Development
Study Contact
Detailed Description
The rationale for this study is the need to proactively address health disparities associated with age-related skeletal muscle dysfunction. Age-related changes in muscle may be characterized by sarcopenia (i.e., loss of muscle mass) and/or myosteatosis (i.e., excessive intramuscular adipose tissue). These changes may result in physical impairments that may be exacerbated by the lack of a formal screening and diagnosis process for older adults in standard healthcare settings. Myosteatosis may compound the effects of sarcopenia and play a significant role the age-related functional decline and higher incidence of type 2 diabetes observed in African Americans in comparison to other ethnic/racial groups. The initial phase of the study will involve the assessment of older African Americans (n = 70) to characterize muscle size and quality in comparison to a younger reference group (n = 70). Participants randomly selected from the older subject pool will be assigned to either the Eccentric Exercise Group or the Concentric Exercise Group for 12 weeks of a supervised strengthening exercise regimen.