[Aging-related frailty and sarcopenia. Kampo medicine for frailty and sarcopenia.]

ABSTRACT

In Japan, which is entering a super-aged society, the prevention of long-term care and bedridden caused by frailty and sarcopenia have been recognized as an urgent need. The pathology of frailty and sarcopenia includes broad problems of senility. A traditional herbal medicine is known to improve symptoms across the organs, many herbal medicines administered by examining the balance of mind and body are effective for frailty and sarcopenia. "The Safety Drug Therapy Guideline 2015 for the Elderly" was fully revised in 2015. In this guideline, traditional herbal medicines, which are suggested to be useful for the elderly, have been taken up, and the evidence of which is being accumulated. We regarded frailty and sarcopenia as 'kidney-Qi' deficiency, a concept that represents aging phenomenon in Kampo medicine and clarified the anti-sarcopenic effects of Go-sha-jinki-gan, a 'kidney-Qi'-tonifying medicine, using animal experimental models.