Malnutrition: from pathogenesis to current methods for diagnosis and treatment

Abstract

Progressive weight loss is a frequent companion to somatic pathology. The risk of death is known to increase dramatically among those with a body mass index of less than 19 kg/m. Even mild weight loss in the presence of severe diseases can have a substantial impact on the course of the disease. The paper presents current views on malnutrition, its prevalence in the presence of various somatic diseases, and clinical significance. It describes the basic pathogenetic components of weight loss and the possible ways of correcting nutritional status. Particular emphasis is placed on the methods of nutritional support that is currently regarded as one of the most important components of a comprehensive approach to treating patients with chronic diseases. The authors give recommendations for the assessment of the nutritional status of patients in clinical practice and algorithms for their malnutrition management.

Keywords

• malnutrition
• hypotrophy
• protein-energy malnutrition
• cachexia
• assessment of nutritional status
• nutritional support