Cachexia is a “wasting” disorder that causes extreme weight loss and muscle wasting, and can include loss of body fat. This syndrome affects people who are in the late stages of serious diseases like cancer, HIV or AIDS, COPD, kidney disease, and congestive heart failure (CHF).
The difference between cachexia and other types of weight loss is that it’s involuntary. People who develop it don’t lose weight because they’re trying to trim down with diet or exercise
*SYMPTOMS OF CACHEXIA*
Cachexia seems to be more common in people with lung cancer or with cancers anywhere in the digestive system. The main symptoms are:
severe weight loss, including loss of fat and muscle mass
loss of appetite
anaemia (low red blood cells)
weakness and fatigue
*STAGES OF CACHEXIA*
There are three stages of cachexia—precachexia, cachexia, and refractory cachexia. Not all people will progress through all three stages. Your risk of progression depends on your tumor type and stage, amount of weight loss, presence of inflammation, and severity of anorexia.
*CAUSES OF CACHEXIA*
A number of factors contribute to cachexia, including the levels of these substances, the conditions that cause them, and the reaction they provoke from the body.
These substances interact with each other and lead to cachexia through several pathways, including:
Increasing metabolism and the spending of energy
Causing inflammation
Increasing the breakdown of muscle
Preventing muscle growth
*COMPLICATIONS OF CACHEXIA*
Complications of cachexia include:
Diminished quality of life and loss of the ability to live independently
Impaired response to treatments
Reduced immunity
Escalating symptoms of the underlying chronic condition
A reduced life expectancy from the underlying disease
*TREATMENT OF CACHEXIA*
There is no specific treatment or way to reverse cachexia. The goal of treatment is to improve symptoms and quality of life.
Current therapy for cachexia includes:
appetite stimulants such as megestrol acetate (Megace)
drugs, such as dronabinol (Marinol), to improve nausea, appetite, and mood
medications that decrease inflammation
diet changes, nutritional supplements
adapted exercise.
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