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WEIGHT LOSS |
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dietary causes: |
elderly, especially if living alone [poor diet]drug addicts [also possibility of HIV infection] |
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endocrine causes: |
especially type 1 ('pituitary cachexia') | |||
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gastrointestinal disease: |
any lesion causing dysphagia persistent vomiting or diarrhoea inflammatory bowel disease |
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malignant disease ('cancer cachexia'): |
especially of git occult 1� with disseminated metastases late in any malignancy |
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chronic infection: |
tuberculosis bronchiectasis occult abscess brucellosis subacute bacterial endocarditis AIDS / ARC |
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psychiatric disease: |
depressive illness anxiety anorexia nervosa |
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drugs: |
laxatives [abused in anorexia nervosa]amphetamines / sympathomimetics digoxin [especially in elderly] |
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voluntary: |
dieting and / or increased exercise |
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