ABSTRACT
Weight loss is a common feature of many chronic diseases in their advanced stages. Patients with diseases as diverse as cancer, AIDS, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often experience weight loss, muscle atrophy, and anorexia as the disease progresses. Unintentional weight loss can also be detected in the elderly without obvious disease1. This process, which has been termed cachexia, is associated with a poor prognosis and decreased survival2. An estimated 20% of cancer-related deaths is attributable to cachexia3.
