Aging, which means the gradual deterioration of the structure and function of the body with age, is irresistible. In other words, a Korean saying that ‘We can’t fight against age’, the issue of aging, which approaches equally to all, may be the subject that is receiving the most attention now that we have recently become economically and socially prosperous.
As mentioned above, due to aging, various organs of the human body, such as organs, muscles, and bones, become weak or incapacitated like an aging automobile. Among them, the decrease in the amount and function of muscles used most for moving or living affects the quality of life of the elderly. In severe cases, it can lead to secondary damage (fall, collapse, difficulty in moving, etc.), which is very serious. The disease caused by this decrease in muscle mass and function is called 'Sarcopenia', and recently the WHO recognized it as a disease and gave it a disease code.
In this plan, we want to check the recent research trends through the overall flow of patent trends for food and medicines development for treatment, along with specific details on Sarcopenia among various problems caused by aging.
1. What is Sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia refers to a disease in which muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle function all decrease with increasing age. The causes of Sarcopenia vary from person to person. The most common causes are low protein intake and lack of exercise, but in particular, the rate of Sarcopenia caused by insufficient intake and absorption of essential amino acids is very high. Another cause is the lack of hormones associated with aging.
2. Sarcopenia prevention and solution
◎ Healthy eating habits
The first is a balanced diet, the second is
sufficient protein. According to the Korean Nutrition Society, divide into 5
food groups- grains (carbohydrates), meat, fish, eggs, legumes (protein),
vegetables (vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber), fruits (vitamins, minerals,
dietary fiber, sugar), and milk/dairy products(calcium), and recommend that
grains 2-4 times a day, meat, fish, eggs, and legumes 3-4 times a day,
vegetables 2 times a day, fruits 1-2 times a day, milk and dairy products 1-2
times a day. Older people need more protein because their ability to synthesize
them into muscle decreases, even if they take the same amount of protein.
It has been reported through many studies
that regular exercise is effective in improving physical function, enhancing
immunity and preventing aging. However, increasing the intensity of exercise recklessly
can bring side effects or adverse effects. Therefore, it is important to choose
an effective exercise that suits your fitness level. In addition, it would be
even better if you could do a customized exercise that determines the amount
and intensity of exercise depending on your physical strength and condition
during exercise.
<Detailed classification of food and medicines
for preventing Sarcopenia>
◎ Application trends by year / country
▲ Application trends by
year
▲ Trend of applications by
section / country◎ Application Trends by All Applicants
▲ The
status of the top applicants for foods and medicines to prevent Sarcopenia◎ Application trends for foods and medicines to prevent Sarcopenia by use
◎ Application trends by material for food and medicine to prevent Sarcopenia
▲ Status of application by
year / material (MAT-01, 02, 06)
As for MAT-01, it’s recognized that most of
the top applicants are researchers and school type of applicants, whereas the
applicants of MAT-02 and MAT-06 in the upper level are the mostly corporation
type.
Along with the rapid aging of the population, the anti-aging market is growing significantly and remarkably as time goes by. However, for Sarcopenia, there has not been a clear development in relation to the essential preventive methods and treatments.
※ References
- Muscle loss with age, Sarcopenia, is a
disease. (2021, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital)
- How to prevent ‘Sarcopenia’, which is a
decrease in muscle mass? (Korea Policy Briefing 2021)
- Current status and prospect of anti-aging
treatment and service market (Biotechnology Policy Research Center, 2020)
- Development of original technology for
controlling aging muscle loss (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and
Biotechnology, 2014)
😄Report by JunKyu PARK, powe0519@wips.co.kr
IP Strategy 3 Team l Manager
JunKyu PARK specializes in patent trend analysis and patent big data processing using AI, focusing on major industries such as displays, batteries and polymers.
