ArcaMax

Sarcopenia is a muscle-wasting disease, first recognized in 2016, that's associated with premature aging, inactivity, taking GLP-1s without doing resistance exercise, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, smoking and excessive alcohol. (Before that, medical science thought it was just something that happened to folks as they aged.)

It develops when you do nothing to counter the fact that, as you age, your body stops making muscle-building proteins as efficiently, and there's a decline in levels of multiple hormones. Around 5% to 13% of folks ages 60 to 70 contend with the condition, and up to 50% of those 80 and older are affected.

Unfortunately, muscle weakness and poor grip strength don't just make it hard to walk fast or unscrew the top of a mustard jar. It also increases your risk for stroke by 130% to 140%, according to a study in the journal Stroke.

But a serious decline in muscle strength and increased stroke risk is NOT inevitable as you age. You can retain power in your limbs and core and reduce your stroke risk if you make a commitment to walking as quickly as possible for 8,500-plus steps daily, do strength-building exercises twice a week, eat a healthy plant-based diet that includes salmon and ocean trout so you get 20 to 35 grams of protein per meal, and ditch added sugars and harmful fats in red and processed meats and highly processed foods. Then, you can achieve a younger ActualAge (take the test at 4YOUngevity.com). For more info, check out my book "The Great Age Reboot."

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.

(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.