Pathophysiology of cachexia and characteristics of dysphagia in chronic diseases

Cachexia is a condition characterized by skeletal muscle loss, weight loss, and anorexia. It is a complication of many diseases, not only cancer, and is characterized by chronic systemic inflammation. Cachexia and sarcopenia share common factors. The various symptoms observed in cachexia may be caused by multiple factors and inflammatory cytokines secreted by a tumor. Essentially, sarcopenia develops with aging, but it can occur at younger ages in the presence of cachexia, malnutrition, and disuse syndrome. In a recent study, dysphagia was found to be closely associated with malnutrition and sarcopenia. Factors specific to chronic diseases may influence the clinical outcome of dysphagia. Elderly people frequently exhibit dysphagia, but no research has been reported on whether cachexia is directly linked with dysphagia. Dysphagia is an important clinical problem, leading to aspiration pneumonia, suffocation, dehydration, malnutrition, and death. In addition to treating the patient, the degree of dysphagia needs to be accurately assessed. This review focuses on the pathogenesis of cachexia and the prevalence of dysphagia-related diseases, methods of assessment, and their impact on clinical outcomes.