About 300,000 elderly people in Taiwan have sarcopenia, an age-related condition that causes degenerative muscle loss, a doctor from the Spine Center at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital said on Friday.
The risk of sarcopenia increases with age, with the rate of muscle deterioration increasing after the age of 70, Chiu Ping-yeh (邱炳燁) said.
Approximately 6.8 to 10 percent of Taiwanese aged 65 or older have the condition, he said.
Photo: Lin Liang-che, Taipei Times
Muscle weakness not only increases the risk of falls, but makes accidents more likely to result in elderly people fracturing bones, becoming confined to their bed or infirm, he said.
It might also lead to deterioration of the spine, which can cause back pain and poor posture in a vicious cycle that only worsens the issue, he added.
Regular exercise while young, particularly strengthening the core and leg muscles, can decrease the likelihood of later developing sarcopenia, he said.
Chiu recommended that those older than 40 take brisk walks, climb stairs or do squats, as well as ensure they have sufficient protein intake, plenty of sunlight and avoid sitting for long periods.
A 68-year-old woman surnamed Tseng (曾) began to experience issues after a fall that caused a shin fracture, she told a news conference hosted yesterday to raise awareness.
Tseng did not regularly exercise when she was young, and began to notice as she aged that she became tired while walking, had osteoporosis and even struggled to open bottle caps, she said.
After an operation, she began a strenuous physiotherapy course which helped her to walk with more stability, she said.
After physical therapy, she was able to go hiking and swimming with her husband every day so she could slowly build back muscle strength, she added.
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital organizes an annual Yongqing Cup Road Race to promote regular exercise and healthy lifestyles, Taipei branch director Huang Chi-jen (黃集仁) said.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The next minimum wage hike is expected to exceed NT$30,000, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during an award ceremony honoring “model workers,” including migrant workers, at the Presidential Office ahead of Workers’ Day today. Lai said he wished to thank the awardees on behalf of the nation and extend his most sincere respect for their hard work, on which Taiwan’s prosperity has been built. Lai specifically thanked 10 migrant workers selected for the award, saying that although they left their home countries to further their own goals, their efforts have benefited Taiwan as well. The nation’s industrial sector and small businesses lay
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
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