Cachexia in RA (rheumatoid cachexia, RC), is mainly characterized by loss of muscle mass, in particular appendicular lean mass (ALM), and associated with accumulated fat mass (FM), situated mainly in the trunk area, indicating a shift towards the development of abdominal obesity. The loss of body cell mass (BCM) consists of an important issue of concern for patients with RA. BCM consists primarily of muscle and visceral mass (erythrocytes, serum proteins, lymphocytes, etc.), and is the part of the body with the greatest metabolic activity (95% of the total activity), determining protein requirements, energy expenditure, and the metabolic response to stress.
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