What is unexplained loss of muscle mass?
Unexplained loss of muscle mass, known as cachexia, is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by muscle wasting even with adequate nutrition. This involuntary weight loss and muscle atrophy often goes hand-in-hand with an underlying illness, without a clear cause.
Some key points about cachexia:
- It involves the loss of both fat mass and lean body mass, particularly skeletal muscle. This leads to overall weight loss and muscle wasting.
- It cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support alone. There are complex physiological changes driving it.
- It is associated with cancers, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, and other chronic or end-stage conditions. It worsens their prognosis.
What causes cachexia?
Cachexia is driven by a range of hormonal, inflammatory and metabolic changes that drive hypermetabolism and altered body composition. Key drivers include:
- Pro-inflammatory cytokines - High levels of inflammatory markers interfere with muscle growth signaling pathways and drive muscle catabolism.
- Insulin resistance - Impaired carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism fails to maintain muscle mass.
- Mitochondrial abnormalities - Dysfunctional mitochondria cannot efficiently utilize nutrients or energy.
This creates a perfect storm of poor appetite, impaired metabolism, and cycle of catabolism burning through muscle tissues.
What are the symptoms?
- >5% weight loss in 12 months or less
- Muscle wasting - Noticeable loss of muscle bulk
- Asthenia - Lack of energy, weakness and fatigue
- Anorexia - Reduced appetite or desire to eat
- Anemia - Low red blood cell counts
If experiencing rapid unexplained weight loss combined with wasting muscles despite maintaining nutrition, seek medical evaluation. Controlling the underlying illness can help minimize further wasting. Treatments aim to increase anabolic signals, reduce inflammation, and provide metabolic support.
Research continues on safe and effective therapeutic options. Maintaining nutrition through symptom management and addressing psychological impacts can improve quality of life.
For more information, visit Vivo Health.