Cachexia: pathophysiology and clinical relevance.
Cachexia causes weight loss and increased mortality. It affects more than 5 million persons in the United States. Other causes of weight loss include anorexia, sarcopenia, and dehydration. The pathophysiology of cachexia is reviewed in this article. The major cause appears to be cytokine excess. Other potential mediators include testosterone and insulin-like growth factor I deficiency, excess myostatin, and excess glucocorticoids. Numerous diseases can result in cachexia, each by a slightly different mechanism. Both nutritional support and orexigenic agents play a role in the management of cachexia.
Morley
John E
JE
Division of Geriatric Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1042 South Grand Boulevard M238, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. morley@slu.edu
Thomas
David R
DR
Wilson
Margaret-Mary G
MM
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000855:Anorexia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications; D002100:Cachexia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D019247:HIV Wasting Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000502:physiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D055435:Myostatin; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D015431:Weight Loss
D016207:Cytokines; D005938:Glucocorticoids; C525911:MSTN protein, human; D055435:Myostatin; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D013739:Testosterone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I