Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders
International nonprofit advancing understanding of muscle wasting disorders.
The Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders (SCWD) is an international, multidisciplinary non-profit founded in 2008. It concentrates on cachexia and sarcopenia, conditions that are frequently under-diagnosed, prompting patient groups to push for greater awareness. Cachexia, sometimes called "body wasting," has been described as the "last illness." Its prevalence ranges from 5–15% in end-stage chronic heart failure to 50–80% in advanced malignant cancer. An estimated 5 million Americans have the condition, which often appears alongside chronic kidney disease, COPD, HIV, multiple sclerosis, neurological diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis. Mortality rates vary widely: 15–25% per year in severe COPD, 20–40% per year in chronic heart failure or chronic kidney disease, and 20–80% per year in cancer cachexia.
The SCWD was launched by Prof. Stefan D. Anker in Germany and Dr. John E. Morley in the US. Its membership, which reached 150 by 2018, consists of an international and multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals specializing in sarcopenia, cachexia, and muscle wasting. The society’s objectives are to improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of skeletal muscle wasting related to disease and aging; to educate healthcare professionals; and to build partnerships with other professional organizations.
Legally, the SCWD is a non-profit scientific organization (501 c3) registered in the United States and Switzerland. Prof. Stefan Anker (Germany) serves as president and is also vice-president of the European Society of Cardiology. Dr. John Morley (USA) is vice-president, and Prof. Andrew J. Coats (UK), an early investigator of cardiac cachexia, is treasurer. The board includes members from Spain, Canada, the UK, Germany, the US, Japan, Italy, and Switzerland. Prof. Ken Fearon, a board member until his death in September 2016, received the Hippocrates Award from the society for his work on cancer cachexia, including leading an international consensus.
The SCWD has organized international conferences since 2000. The 5th Cachexia conference was held in Barcelona in December 2009, the 7th in Italy in 2011, and one in Kobe, Japan. These conferences were biennial until 2015, when the Paris meeting decided to hold them annually. The 2016 congress took place in Berlin on 10–11 December, featuring a statistical seminar, a mentor or career sessi
- field
- Sarcopenia, cachexia, and muscle wasting disorders
- founded
- 2008
- founders
- Prof. Stefan D. Anker (Germany) and Dr. John E. Morley (US)
- headquarters
- Registered in the United States of America and Switzerland
- membership
- 150 members as of 2018
- official_journal
- Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle (JCSM), created in 2010
- known_for
- Organizing international conferences and consensus meetings on cachexia and sarcopenia
Lore & Background
The SCWD was founded in 2008 by Prof. Stefan D. Anker in Germany and Dr. John E. Morley in the US. Its board includes prominent researchers from Europe, North America, and Asia, such as Prof. Andrew J. Coats (treasurer) and Prof. Ken Fearon, who served until his death in September 2016 and received the Hippocrates Award from the Society. The society has organized international conferences since 2000, initially biennially, then annually from 2015 onward, with locations including Barcelona (2009), Italy (2011), Kobe, Japan, Paris (2015), Berlin (2016), and Maastricht (2018).
Reader's Guide
The SCWD has played a significant role in raising awareness of cachexia and sarcopenia, conditions that are often under-diagnosed. Cachexia, sometimes called 'body wasting,' affects an estimated 5 million Americans and has high mortality rates, ranging from 15–25% per year in severe COPD to 20–80% per year in cancer cachexia. The society's consensus meetings, begun in 2006, have brought together international experts to define cachexia, sarcopenia, and frailty, and to develop recommendations for clinical trial endpoints and nutritional management. Its official journal, JCSM, achieved a 2017 impact factor of 12.511, ranking among the top 10 journals in general internal medicine. The society's work has helped standardize research and treatment approaches for muscle wasting disorders, which are linked to poor quality of life and increased morbidity and mortality.
Did You Know?
- Cachexia prevalence ranges from 5–15% in end-stage chronic heart failure to 50–80% in advanced malignant cancer.
- The SCWD's official journal, Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, had a 2017 impact factor of 12.511.
- The society organized a charity dinner in Milan in 2011 with the participation of Lisa Niemi.
- Prof. Ken Fearon, a board member who died in September 2016, received the Hippocrates Award from the Society.
More in Symptoms and signs: Endocrinology, nutrition, and metabolism 1-21
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record