Cachexia

Cachexia is loss of weight, muscle wasting, fatigue, weakness and decrease of appetite in someone who is not actively trying to lose weight. It can be a sign of various underlying disorders; when a patient presents with cachexia, a doctor will generally consider the possibility of cancer, certain infectious diseases (e.g. tuberculosis) and some autoimmune disorders.

Related Topics:
Loss of weight - Muscle - Appetite - Sign - Cancer - Infectious disease - Tuberculosis - Autoimmune disorder

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The exact mechanism in which these diseases cause cachexia is poorly understood, but there is probably a role for inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which is also nicknamed cachectin for this reason.

Related Topics:
Inflammatory - Cytokine - Tumor necrosis factor alpha

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Related malnutrition syndromes are kwashiorkor and marasmus, although these do not always have an underlying causative illness; they are most often symptomatic of severe malnutrition.

Related Topics:
Kwashiorkor - Marasmus

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