Cardiac Sarcopenia reflects the intersection of skeletal muscle wasting, frailty, and heart failure, where reduced muscle mass and strength worsen exercise tolerance, outcomes, and independence. This session explores how sarcopenia develops in patients with chronic cardiovascular disease through inactivity, neurohormonal activation, inflammation, malnutrition, and comorbidities related to aging. Participants will learn how to screen for sarcopenia in heart failure clinics and cardiac rehab settings using simple functional tests, body composition assessments, and focused history. By reframing weakness and fatigue as modifiable targets, the session highlights new opportunities to improve patient trajectories.

Clinicians and rehabilitation teams increasingly look for a cardiology conference to connect geriatric and cardiovascular concepts. This session reviews diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia, links with frailty indices, and prognostic implications in heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction. Attendees will examine how low muscle mass and poor grip strength predict hospitalization, falls, and mortality, and why traditional metrics like BMI can mask underlying muscle loss. Real-world examples illustrate how sarcopenia influences tolerance of guideline-directed medical therapy, device implantation, and advanced interventions such as LVAD or transplant.

A major focus is designing targeted interventions for muscle wasting in heart failure. Participants will explore resistance and aerobic training strategies, nutritional optimization, and the potential roles of protein supplementation, vitamin D, and anti-inflammatory approaches. The session emphasizes collaboration between cardiologists, dietitians, physiotherapists, and geriatric specialists to create multidisciplinary programs. Practical guidance includes setting realistic exercise goals, monitoring progress, and adapting plans for patients with orthopedic limitations, cognitive issues, or social barriers to participation.

The session also discusses system-level changes—embedding sarcopenia screening into clinic workflows, incorporating strength metrics into risk assessment, and using digital tools to track activity and function. Attendees will learn how addressing sarcopenia can reduce hospitalizations, enhance quality of life, and support successful aging with cardiovascular disease. By the end, participants will appreciate cardiac sarcopenia as a treatable dimension of heart failure care rather than an inevitable consequence of disease.