muscle wasting

A Pound of Flesh: What Cachexia Is and What It Is Not

Body weight loss, mostly due to the wasting of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, is the hallmark of the so-called cachexia syndrome. Cachexia is associated with several acute and chronic disease states such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart and kidney failure, and acquired and autoimmune diseases and also pharmacological treatments such as chemotherapy. The clinical relevance of cachexia and its impact on patients' quality of life has been neglected for decades.

Sarcopenia predicts reduced survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at first diagnosis

Background. Sarcopenia is a complication and independent risk factor for mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis.
AIM:
To assess the prevalence and influence of sarcopenia on overall survival in a cohort of cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma managed in a tertiary center.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Identification of a circulating amino acid signature in frail older persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus: results from the metabofrail study

Diabetes and frailty are highly prevalent conditions that impact the health status of older adults. Perturbations in protein/amino acid metabolism are associated with both functional impairment and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In the present study, we compared the concentrations of a panel of circulating 37 amino acids and derivatives between frail/pre-frail older adults with T2DM and robust non-diabetic controls. Sixty-six functionally impaired older persons aged 70+ with T2DM and 30 age and sex-matched controls were included in the analysis.

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