Clinical problems of patients with cachexia due to chronic illness: a congress report

Abstract

According to the speaker, the treatment of sarcopenic dysphagia includes three major components: exercise,34 nutritional,35 and dysphagia36 rehabilitation. Depression in chronic illnesses may be undetected in 50–60% of cases,64 and among the elderly, the incidence might even be higher.65,66 In this context, depression is a common comorbidity in CHF patients with a prevalence of 20%.67 It is a risk factor for overall poor quality of life,68 higher rate of readmissions,69 and increased mortality in cardiac patients.70 Professor Reid demonstrated that cachexia challenges cancer patients and family members on many different levels: psychologically, socially, and emotionally.71 The aggravating psychosocial impact of cancer cachexia on the entire family was observed in a cross-sectional survey with 702 family members of cachectic patients with advanced cancer—60% of family members reported some kind of eating-related stress.72 In another cross-sectional study, 306 advanced cancer patients were examined for symptoms that are prone for depression. In 52 patients with severe cachexia due to cancer, sleeping was disturbed in 73% of patients, fatigue was present in 77%, distress in 62%, lack of appetite in 69%, and lack of energy in 62%.73 The symptom burden increased with the stage of cachexia. [...]Professor Reid urged to raise awareness and understanding for depression in cachectic patients especially among health care professionals.74 She appealed for validated identification criteria and management strategies in order to improve the quality of life in these patients. [...]she promoted two questionnaires to assess mental health: the emotional well-being subscale from Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life 36-Item Short Form Survey.