ReviewEuropean review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity2026
Effectiveness of digital health exercise interventions on muscle function and physical performance in older adults with possible, confirmed, or severe sarcopenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in European review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Feasibility of social media health education plus exercise in older adults with possible sarcopenia.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDigital health exercise interventions are emerging as scalable solutions for sarcopenia in older adults, but their efficacy remains unclear. MAIN BODY: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated their effects on muscle strength, mass, and physical performance in older adults with possible, confirmed, or severe sarcopenia. Eleven databases were searched up to 1st October 2025 for randomized and controlled clinical trials. Sixteen studies (n = 1,607 participants) were included. Meta-analysis revealed that, overall, digital interventions showed no significant benefit on appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (MD = 0.16 kg/m2, 95% CI [-0.03, 0.36]), the timed up-and-go test (SMD=-0.02, 95% CI [-0.40, 0.37]), or gait speed (SMD = 0.06, 95% CI [-0.44, 0.56]) compared to control conditions. Crucially, subgroup analyses revealed significant differential effects: combined digital health interventions (exercise plus nutrition) demonstrated superior improvements in handgrip strength (MD = 2.21 kg, 95% CI [1.33, 3.09]) and quality of life (SMD = 0.65, 95% CI [0.29, 1.01]) compared to controls. Furthermore, opposing effects on BMI were observed between exercise-focused and nutrition-focused interventions. The certainty of evidence for most outcomes was rated as low or very low.
conclusionStandalone digital health exercise interventions confer limited benefit on core sarcopenia outcomes. In contrast, comprehensive digital interventions that combine exercise with nutritional support show significant promise for improving muscle strength, muscle mass, and quality of life, representing the most promising avenue. The current evidence base is characterized by low certainty, underscoring the need for more methodologically rigorous trials with longer-term follow-up to confirm these findings and identify the most effective intervention components and target populations.
trial registrationCRD42024516930
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.