The Indonesian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PERDOSRI) has officially formed the Sarcopenia Special Interest Group (SIG) as a strategic step to address the decline in muscle mass and function that increasingly threatens the country's elderly population. This initiative was announced in a national webinar that promoted cross-disciplinary collaboration to shift the paradigm of healthcare management from disease-based to body function-based.
The General Chair of PP PERDOSRI, Dr. dr. Rumaisah Hasan, Sp.K.F.R., emphasized that the weakening of physical conditions in the elderly should no longer be regarded as a normal aging process. According to her, sarcopenia is an objective medical condition that requires structured intervention from an early stage. Data shows that the prevalence of sarcopenia in the Asia-Pacific region reaches 29%, contributing significantly to an increased risk of disability and mortality in the elderly group.
In an effort to accelerate detection, PERDOSRI encourages the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which has been proven to improve the efficiency of the screening process by more than 38%. It is hoped that this method can be widely implemented in primary healthcare facilities such as Community Health Centers (Puskesmas), making early screening more affordable, efficient, and precise for the community.
In addition to technological innovation, PERDOSRI formulated three main pillars to maintain muscle strength: adequate daily protein intake, regular targeted resistance or weight training, and optimization of Vitamin D levels. The organization hopes that these steps will become a strong foundation for the public to build a "muscle reserve" from a productive age, in order to realize a more independent and active elderly population.
