Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by the progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. This condition is associated with physical disability, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality. Therefore, reducing the prevalence of sarcopenia could significantly lower healthcare costs. Sarcopenia can be classified into primary and secondary sarcopenia. The former is related to aging and begins after the fourth decade of life; after that, there is a muscle loss of around 8% per decade until age 70 years, which subsequently increases to 15% per decade. On the other hand, secondary sarcopenia can affect all individuals and may result from various factors including physical inactivity, malnutrition, endocrine disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and cachexia. Understanding the multiple mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of sarcopenia allows for us to develop strategies that can prevent, treat, or at least mitigate muscle loss caused by increased protein breakdown. One potential treatment of sarcopenia is based on nutritional interventions, including adequate caloric and protein intake and specific nutrients that support muscle health. Such nutrients include natural food rich in whey protein and omega-3 fatty acids as well as nutritional supplements like branched-chain amino acids, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, and vitamin D along with food for special medical purposes. It is important to emphasize that physical exercises, especially resistance training, not only promote muscle protein synthesis on their own but also work synergistically with nutritional strategies to enhance their effectiveness.

Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by the progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. This condition is associated with physical disability, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality. Therefore, reducing the prevalence of sarcopenia could significantly lower healthcare costs. Sarcopenia can be classified into primary and secondary sarcopenia. The former is related to aging and begins after the fourth decade of life; after that, there is a muscle loss of around 8% per decade until age 70, which subsequently increases to 15% per decade. On the other hand, secondary sarcopenia can affect all individuals and may result from various factors, including physical inactivity, malnutrition, endocrine disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and cachexia. Understanding the multiple mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of sarcopenia allows us to develop strategies that can prevent, treat, or at least mitigate muscle loss caused by increased protein breakdown. One potential treatment of sarcopenia is based on nutritional interventions, including adequate caloric and protein intake and specific nutrients that support muscle health. Such nutrients include natural food rich in whey protein and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as nutritional supplements like branched-chain amino acids, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, and vitamin D, along with food for special medical purposes. It's important to emphasize that physical exercises, especially resistance training, promote per se muscle protein synthesis and work synergistically with nutritional strategies to enhance their effectiveness.

Background/Objectives. Nutrition therapy for diseased patients should satisfy patients’ nutritional needs and address the specific disease-related requirements. This study evaluated the prevalence and appropriateness of artificial nutrition (AN) prescriptions at University Hospital. Methods. On a single day, a multidisciplinary team of physicians and dietitians with specialized training in clinical nutrition assessed patients receiving AN. Except for ICU patients, caloric requirements calculations were performed using BMI-specific predictive formulas adjusted with a metabolic stress factor ac-cording to clinical condition. Results. Among 578 hospitalized patients from 36 different wards, 9.7% (30/26 males/females; mean age 67.1 ± 11.6 years) were receiving AN (39 total parenteral nutrition [TPN], 16 enteral nutrition [EN], and 1 enteral plus supportive parenteral nutrition [SPN]). The most common primary diagnoses were cancer (21.4%) and respiratory failure (17.8%). Only four patients were hospitalized for primary malnutrition. The median time to initiate AN after the hospital admission was 3 days (IQR 0-13.5 days). Only 10 patients with a peripheral implanted central catheter (PICC) met the proper caloric intake, and only 5 of them received an adequate protein intake (≥1 g/kg body weight). Among patients receiving EN, 11 were allocated to ICU, and their caloric intake was 6-12 kcal/kg b.w., while protein intake was 0.44 ± 0.16 g/kg b.w. Conclu-sions. The findings highlight significant gaps in the clinical application of nutrition support, in-cluding delayed initiation, underdosing, and variability across patient groups. These issues demonstrate the necessity of improved nutritional screening, earlier intervention, and greater in-volvement of trained nutrition professionals in hospital care pathways.