Weight Loss In Elderly Patients

2 useful screening questions include asking older patients.

Weight loss in elderly patients. In fact according to a report in american family physician unintentional weight loss which is defined as dropping more than 5 percent of your body weight in six to 12 months occurs in 15 to 20 percent of older adults and is linked to an. Unintentional weight loss i e more than a 5 reduction in body weight within six to 12 months occurs in 15 to 20 of older adults and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality 1 in. Weight loss is common and can be challenging to manage.

The leading causes of involuntary weight loss are depression especially in residents of. This is a very well thought out article about the complexities of unexplained sudden weight loss in older adults. 1 weight loss is a reduction of more than 5 of body weight over 1 month or 10 over 6 months.

You spend much of your life trying to keep your weight down but with age shedding pounds can be cause for concern rather than celebration. Depression cancer heart disease and medications may be causes among others. A chart review of 10 000 patients in seven family practice centres in the southeastern united states where 45 patients with an average age of 72 years and 30 of whom were women were identified as having substantial unexplained weight loss showed that a comprehensive history and physical examination have the greatest potential for eliciting.

Especially if an older adult is living on his her own far away from adult children who can help and monitor. Quandaries include identifying the problem determining the appropriate workup balancing fear of missing a diagnosis with invasive investigation and effective treatment. Weight loss may be a side effect of depression which is defined as feeling sad lost or empty for at least two weeks these emotions interfere with daily activities such as going to work or.

Elderly patients with unintentional weight loss are at higher risk for infection depression and death. What are some of the causes of unintentional weight loss in the elderly. You are good to point out that it is first of all important to discover the cause s and not jump to conclusions or a solution before really delving in.

Aging is generally accompanied by weight loss made up of both fat mass and fat free mass. As more people including elderly are overweight or obese weight loss is recommended to improve health.