Abstract
Involuntary weight loss (IWL) is common in community-dwelling older adults with approximately 1/3 losing at least 4% of their body weight over the course of a year. Social and functional issues can contribute to IWL; assessment of a patient’s home situation can help to identify contributing causes and approaches to treat or ameliorate IWL. IWL is associated with dementia and may precede the diagnosis of dementia; medications are also a common cause of IWL among older adults. In studies of the causes of IWL among referred populations of (non-frail, non-homebound) adults, approximately 1/4 of patients will have a psychiatric cause identified, 1/4 won’t have a cause identified, and approximately 1/2 will have a physical cause identified, with malignancy and benign gastrointestinal causes as the most common etiologies. Watchful waiting and clinical surveillance in the absence of specific symptoms and negative initial workup are appropriate. Appetite stimulants should not be prescribed in the setting of IWL.
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Leff, B. (2020). Involuntary Weight Loss. In: Colburn, J., Leff, B., Hayashi, J., Schuchman, M. (eds) Home-Based Medical Care for Older Adults. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23483-6_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23483-6_1
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