Cardiac cachexia is a wasting disease associated with chronic heart failure, causing significant loss of muscle mass and other tissues. It is triggered by poor blood circulation and inflammation, resulting in an accelerated wasting process. The prognosis is poor, and treatment requires continued drug use and close medical supervision.
Cachexia refers to a type of wasting condition in which the body loses lean muscle mass despite getting adequate nutrition. This can occur for many different reasons, including cancer and other serious chronic diseases. Cardiac cachexia is the name given to this type of wasting disease which is commonly associated with the presence of chronic heart failure (CHF).
Sometimes referred to as wasting disease, it’s not clear exactly how cardiac cachexia is triggered. It can occur in heart patients who have been stable for a long period of time and is typically discovered by observing the person’s condition. A heart patient who loses 7.5% or more of his body weight in a six-month period most likely has this syndrome.
Part of the problem appears to be related to poor blood circulation caused by the heart pumping inefficiently. In some cases, the presence of a tumor necrosis factor and cytokines in the blood promote inflammation and cause chronic fever, with a consequent increase in metabolism. People with this condition will burn far more calories than they normally would, resulting in an accelerated wasting process.
Among the effects of cardiac cachexia are significant loss of muscle mass and other lean tissue, adipose tissue, and bone mass. Patients typically become weak and fail to thrive independent of other health issues, even if CHF is successfully treated. Usually a person with this syndrome burns out when trying to perform normal tasks and eventually needs help with simple routine tasks such as personal care, housework and cooking.
In some cases, this syndrome may be associated with a poor appetite, which causes patients with cardiac cachexia to consume insufficient nutrients. Appetite-stimulating drugs may help the patient eat more, but this rarely has a positive effect on long-term outcome. This effect is true even if the person eats meals by mouth or receives supplemental nutrition via an intravenous line or stomach tube. Scientists believe that malabsorption in the gut plays a significant role, making the body unable to use nutrients properly.
The prognosis for those affected by cardiac cachexia is very poor. Treatment requires the continued use of drugs to control edema, inflammation, and to promote the patient’s appetite. Immediate and intensive treatment can often prolong the victim’s life, but requires close medical supervision to maintain the appropriate balance of medications.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
