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Cited by 176Nutrition and Health in AgingFrailty in Older AdultsEating Disorders and Behaviors

Investigation and management of unintentional weight loss in older adults

McMinn, J., Steel, C., Bowman, A.·2011·BMJ
DOI 10.1136/bmj.d1732
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Abstract

#### Summary points Unintentional weight loss occurs in 15-20% of older adults (those over 65) and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.1 Clinical and epidemiological studies have reported even higher prevalence in certain populations, with as many as 27% of community dwelling elderly people and 50-60% of nursing home residents being affected.1 2 w1 Weight loss may be the presenting problem or an incidental finding during a consultation for other reasons. There are no published guidelines on how to investigate and manage patients with unintentional weight loss, and responses range from doing nothing (if it is viewed as a normal part of the ageing process) to extensive blind investigation because of the fear that it represents underlying cancer. Observational studies have shown that in as many as 25% of cases no identifiable cause is found, despite extensive investigation.3 4 It is not clear how far clinicians should go to investigate older patients with unintentional weight loss in the absence of an obvious medical cause. We review the available evidence (mainly epidemiological and observational studies) and outline a structured approach to investigation and management of the older patient with unintentional weight loss. #### Sources and selection criteria We searched the literature for current …

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  • Ageing-related lean mass decreases tend to be masked and offset by gains in fat mass or obesity in early stages of chronic disease, due to metabolic imbalance, such that lean mass loss only manifests upon severe inflammation and then fat loss in later stages.

    “Second, this is likely an underestimate since ageing‐related lean mass decreases tend to be masked and offset by gains in fat mass or obesity in the early stages of chronic disease,[ 109 , 110 ] due to metabolic imbalance, such that lean mass loss only manifests upon severe inflammation and then fat loss in the later stages.[ 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ]”

    From Pathogenesis of sarcopenia and the relationship with fat mass: descriptive review (2022) · cites this paper as [110]

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Authors
McMinn, J., Steel, C., & Bowman, A.
Affiliations
  • Southern General Hospital (GB)
  • Monklands Hospital (GB)
Corresponding author
McMinn, J.
Venue
BMJ
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2011-03-29
Volume
342
Issue
mar29 1
Pages
d1732-d1732
ISSN
  • 0007-1447 (ISSN-L)
  • 0959-8138
  • 1468-5833
DOI
10.1136/bmj.d1732
OpenAlex
W2044100228
Cited by
176
References
26
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 7
FWCI
4.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • BMJ (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Frailty in Older Adults
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
Keywords
unintentional weight loss, older adults, geriatric assessment, cancer screening, nursing home residents, morbidity and mortality
MeSH terms
Aged, Cognition Disorders, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Medical History Taking, Physical Examination, Referral and Consultation, Socioeconomic Factors, Weight Loss, Body Mass Index, Frail Elderly

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