犬と猫の悪液質とサルコペニア

犬と猫の悪液質とサルコペニアに関するレビュー論文を紹介します。

Freeman LM. Cachexia and Sarcopenia: Emerging Syndromes of Importance in Dogs and Cats. J Vet Intern Med. 2011 Nov 23. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00838.x. [Epub ahead of print]

長寿の犬や猫が増えていることは聞いていましたが、犬や猫の世界でも悪液質とサルコペニアが重要な問題となりつつあることは知りませんでした。犬や猫でも体重と筋肉量の管理が重要とありますので、犬や猫のリハ栄養も大事になりますね（笑）。

Abstract
Cachexia is the loss of lean body mass (LBM) that affects a large proportion of dogs and cats with congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic kidney disease (CKD), cancer, and a variety of other chronic diseases. Sarcopenia, the loss of LBM that occurs with aging, is a related syndrome, although sarcopenia occurs in the absence of disease. As many of the diseases associated with muscle loss are more common in aging, cachexia and sarcopenia often are concurrent problems. Both cachexia and sarcopenia have important clinical implications because they are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of these 2 syndromes is complex and multifactorial, but recent studies have provided new information that has helped to clarify mechanisms and identify potential new targets for treatment. Newly identified mechanisms and pathways that mediate cachexia appear to act by increasing energy requirements, decreasing energy intake, impairing nutrient absorption, and causing metabolic alterations. Whereas cachexia and sarcopenia are important areas of research for drug development in people, they are only beginning to be recognized in veterinary medicine. Greater awareness and earlier diagnosis will help provide practical approaches to managing body weight and lean tissue in dogs and cats, as well as more directed targets for treatment.