Weight loss has become the buzzword in the United States of late. There is much hype and attention for any method which claims to cause fat reduction. In such situations of less reliable sources to trust, awareness must be increased on several conditions of weight loss. One such state is Cachexia.
Unfortunately, the loss of weight associated with this condition does not make the patient cheerful. Instead it marks the advancement towards death one step closer.
What is Cachexia?
It is a term used to describe the weight loss in patients suffering from terminally ill diseases like cancer and AIDS. In such a state, no amount of intake of nutritious food can bring back the lost body weight. It weakens the body of the patient owing to loss of appetite, low red blood cells in the body and poor response to any treatment. Unfortunately, the nexus between this state and several life-threatening diseases is not understood yet.
What Research Learnt About Cachexia?
- Interestingly, studies have found that the levels of hunger-causing signalling molecule (or hormone), Ghrelin, are high in cancer patients in their end stage and suffering from this condition.
- High levels of Ghrelin hormone are responsible for eating disorders like anorexia nervosa common in obese people.
- Like several unexplored aspects of this condition, the researchers have to focus on whether a nexus between obesity and this condition is a remote possibility or not.
- No drugs are available to treat this disease and they need to have approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Conclusion: On a trial basis, steroids like corticosteroids and drugs which mimic progesterone to raise appetite are tried. But these medications cannot prevent the wasting of the muscles. In states like Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California, and Colorado, medical marijuana is used to treat this condition.
