Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Moriguti,Julio Cesar
Data de Publicação: 2001
Outros Autores: Moriguti,Eny Kiyomi Uemura, Ferriolli,Eduardo, Cação,João de Castilho, Iucif Junior,Nelson, Marchini,Julio Sergio
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: São Paulo medical journal (Online)
Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802001000200007
Resumo: CONTEXT: The loss of body weight and fat late in life is associated with premature death and increased risk of disability, even after excluding elderly subjects who have a preexisting disease. Although it is important to recognize that periods of substantially positive or negative energy balance and body weight fluctuation occur as a normal part of life, weight losses greater than 5% over 6 months should be investigated. We can divide the major causes of weight loss in the elderly into 4 categories: social, psychiatric, due to medical conditions, and age-related. The clinical evaluation should include a careful history and physical examination. If these fail to provide clues to the weight loss, simple diagnostic tests are indicated. A period of watchful waiting is preferable to blind pursuit of additional diagnostic testing that may yield few useful data, if the results of these initial tests are normal. The first step in managing patients with weight loss is to identify and treat any specific causative or contributing conditions and to provide nutritional support when indicated. Non-orexigenic drugs have found an established place in the management of protein-energy malnutrition. Early attention to nutrition and prevention of weight loss during periods of acute stress, particularly during hospitalization, may be extremely important, as efforts directed at re-feeding are often unsuccessful. DESIGN: Narrative review.
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spelling Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatmentElderlyWeight lossDisabilityMortalityCONTEXT: The loss of body weight and fat late in life is associated with premature death and increased risk of disability, even after excluding elderly subjects who have a preexisting disease. Although it is important to recognize that periods of substantially positive or negative energy balance and body weight fluctuation occur as a normal part of life, weight losses greater than 5% over 6 months should be investigated. We can divide the major causes of weight loss in the elderly into 4 categories: social, psychiatric, due to medical conditions, and age-related. The clinical evaluation should include a careful history and physical examination. If these fail to provide clues to the weight loss, simple diagnostic tests are indicated. A period of watchful waiting is preferable to blind pursuit of additional diagnostic testing that may yield few useful data, if the results of these initial tests are normal. The first step in managing patients with weight loss is to identify and treat any specific causative or contributing conditions and to provide nutritional support when indicated. Non-orexigenic drugs have found an established place in the management of protein-energy malnutrition. Early attention to nutrition and prevention of weight loss during periods of acute stress, particularly during hospitalization, may be extremely important, as efforts directed at re-feeding are often unsuccessful. DESIGN: Narrative review.Associação Paulista de Medicina - APM2001-03-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802001000200007Sao Paulo Medical Journal v.119 n.2 2001reponame:São Paulo medical journal (Online)instname:Associação Paulista de Medicinainstacron:APM10.1590/S1516-31802001000200007info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessMoriguti,Julio CesarMoriguti,Eny Kiyomi UemuraFerriolli,EduardoCação,João de CastilhoIucif Junior,NelsonMarchini,Julio Sergioeng2001-03-19T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S1516-31802001000200007Revistahttp://www.scielo.br/spmjhttps://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.phprevistas@apm.org.br1806-94601516-3180opendoar:2001-03-19T00:00São Paulo medical journal (Online) - Associação Paulista de Medicinafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment
title Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment
spellingShingle Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment
Moriguti,Julio Cesar
Elderly
Weight loss
Disability
Mortality
title_short Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment
title_full Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment
title_fullStr Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment
title_full_unstemmed Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment
title_sort Involuntary weight loss in elderly individuals: assessment and treatment
author Moriguti,Julio Cesar
author_facet Moriguti,Julio Cesar
Moriguti,Eny Kiyomi Uemura
Ferriolli,Eduardo
Cação,João de Castilho
Iucif Junior,Nelson
Marchini,Julio Sergio
author_role author
author2 Moriguti,Eny Kiyomi Uemura
Ferriolli,Eduardo
Cação,João de Castilho
Iucif Junior,Nelson
Marchini,Julio Sergio
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Moriguti,Julio Cesar
Moriguti,Eny Kiyomi Uemura
Ferriolli,Eduardo
Cação,João de Castilho
Iucif Junior,Nelson
Marchini,Julio Sergio
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Elderly
Weight loss
Disability
Mortality
topic Elderly
Weight loss
Disability
Mortality
description CONTEXT: The loss of body weight and fat late in life is associated with premature death and increased risk of disability, even after excluding elderly subjects who have a preexisting disease. Although it is important to recognize that periods of substantially positive or negative energy balance and body weight fluctuation occur as a normal part of life, weight losses greater than 5% over 6 months should be investigated. We can divide the major causes of weight loss in the elderly into 4 categories: social, psychiatric, due to medical conditions, and age-related. The clinical evaluation should include a careful history and physical examination. If these fail to provide clues to the weight loss, simple diagnostic tests are indicated. A period of watchful waiting is preferable to blind pursuit of additional diagnostic testing that may yield few useful data, if the results of these initial tests are normal. The first step in managing patients with weight loss is to identify and treat any specific causative or contributing conditions and to provide nutritional support when indicated. Non-orexigenic drugs have found an established place in the management of protein-energy malnutrition. Early attention to nutrition and prevention of weight loss during periods of acute stress, particularly during hospitalization, may be extremely important, as efforts directed at re-feeding are often unsuccessful. DESIGN: Narrative review.
publishDate 2001
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2001-03-01
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802001000200007
url http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802001000200007
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 10.1590/S1516-31802001000200007
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
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dc.format.none.fl_str_mv text/html
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Associação Paulista de Medicina - APM
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Associação Paulista de Medicina - APM
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Sao Paulo Medical Journal v.119 n.2 2001
reponame:São Paulo medical journal (Online)
instname:Associação Paulista de Medicina
instacron:APM
instname_str Associação Paulista de Medicina
instacron_str APM
institution APM
reponame_str São Paulo medical journal (Online)
collection São Paulo medical journal (Online)
repository.name.fl_str_mv São Paulo medical journal (Online) - Associação Paulista de Medicina
repository.mail.fl_str_mv revistas@apm.org.br
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