title: The anorexia of aging.
abstract: Malnutrition in the elderly is one of the greatest threats to health, well-being and autonomy, it is therefore crucial to understand and to contrast the causal factors of inadequate energy intake. This review focuses on the mechanisms of the so-called 'anorexia of aging'. In recent years, it has been shown that elderly subjects have abnormal peripheral signal patterns and alterations in central hypothalamic control relays. Negative feedback from impaired gastric motility, exaggerated long-term adiposity signals (leptin, insulin) and postprandial anorexigenic signals (CCK, PYY) seem to prevail over the central feeding drive. If nutritional strategies of intervention are to be improved, these data need to be taken into account.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, Geriatric Unit, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. vincenzo.difrancesco@univr.it
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Francesco
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fantin
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Omizzolo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Residori
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bissoli
authors.forename: Ottavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bosello
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamboni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000855:Anorexia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors