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New clues to muscle wasting in elderly

Permanent disconnection between nerves and muscles may be the cause of muscle degeneration in older Australians.

Sarcopenia, the muscle wasting condition, affects everyone over the age of 60 in some form.

Researchers found that age-equivalent mice showed an extreme lack of healthy links between contact nerve points and muscles connected to them. Muscle activity therefore decreased, leading to a loss of mobility and function.

The findings open up new ideas for interventions to slow down muscle loss and improve quality of life for the elderly.

Read more at The University of Western Australia

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