Muscle loss in kidney disease patients and its effects

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a global public health priority over the past few decades, affecting 10-12% of the adult population and has received increasing attention. Sarcopenia describes a generalizes degenerative skeletal muscle disorder involving the loss of muscle mass, muscle function and/or physical performance. Indeed, Sarcopenia is a condition with many causes and it can be considered "primary sarcopenia" when no other cause is evident but ageing. While in the clinical practice, it also occurs in patients with chronic diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, which can be considered "secondary sarcopenia". Notably, the occurrence of sarcopenia in CKD patients is not only related with ageing, the accumulation of uremic toxins, inflammation, insulin resistance, malnutrition and oxidative stress also contribute to the muscle depletion. Moreover, sarcopenia increased risk of falls and fractures, impaired ability to perform activities of daily living, disabilities, loss of independence and increased risk of death. Hence, it is of great significance to prevent the occurrence and development of sarcopenia in patients with CKD. The purposes of this project were to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia, further explore the risk factors for sarcopenia and detect the relationship between sarcopenia and outcomes in CKD patients.