Clinical Features of Pulmonary Cachexia with Muscle Wasting

 

Clinical features:

(1) advanced lung disease (FEV1 less than 50% of predicted)

(2) reduced lean body mass, usually with a low or declining body mass index (BMI)

(3) sarcopenia

(4) significant decrease in exercise capacity

(5) exclusion of other explanations (chronic tuberculosis, cancer, etc)

 

The loss in weight may or may not be reversible with nutritional support.

 

The presence of pulmonary cachexia is a poor prognostic finding in a patient with COPD, especially if

(1) the patient has a poor response (resistance) to nutritional therapy.

(2) ongoing weight loss