Pharmacological Treatment of Geriatric Cachexia: Evidence and Safety in Perspective

Yeh, Shing-Shing; Lovitt, Sherri; Schuster, Michael W.

doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2007.05.001

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Volume 8, Issue 6 , Pages 363-377, July 2007

Pharmacological Treatment of Geriatric Cachexia: Evidence and Safety in Perspective

Shing-Shing Yeh, MD, PhD
- Northport VAMC, Geriatric division, Northport, NY
- S.-S.Y. has received unrestricted research grants from Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Amgen Pharmaceuticals, and consulting fees from PAR Pharmaceuticals.
- Address correspondence to Shing-Shing Yeh, MD, PhD, Northport VAMC, Geriatric Division, Box 111, 79 Middleville Road, Northport, NY 11768.
Sherri Lovitt, MD
- Northport VAMC, Geriatric division, Northport, NY
Michael W. Schuster, MD
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University and The New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.
- M.W.S. has been on advisory boards for GTX, Alder Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers, PAR and Amgen Pharmaceuticals, and has received research funding and lecture honoraria from Amgen and Par Pharmaceuticals.

Anticachexic or antisarcopenic medications are prescribed worldwide for geriatric patients with poor appetite and associated weight loss. They represent a valuable treatment option for managing cachexia. However, the well-publicized adverse reports about these medications in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and in the cancer population has led to some concern and much subsequent discussion over the safety of these medications being used in geriatric population. This review looks at the evidence in relation to the benefits and risks of these medications and discusses what we know about their use in the geriatric population.

Keywords: Cachexia, elderly, pharmacotherapy, safety