Mechanism and Nutrition in Cachexia

Abstract

Cachexia is characterized by anorexia, weakness, weight loss, and muscle wasting. The understandings of the pathological mechanism of anorexia and muscle metabolism in view of the crosstalk between brain, gut, adipose tissue and muscle will open the new way for the management of cachexia. Cytokines-induced systemic inflammatory in cachexia causes anabolic/catabolic imbalance. Cachexia represents a continuum with three stages of clinical relevance : pre-cachexia, cachexia and refractory cachexia. In the refractory cachexia stage, the burden and risks of artificial nutritional support likely outweigh any potential benefit, and therapeutic interventions focus typically on alleviating the suffering associated with cachexia. It is important to appreciate the stage of cachexia and perform appropriate nutritional management.