A patient with amyloidosis may develop malnutrition due to one or more causes.
Factors that may contribute to malnutrition include:
(1) nausea and vomiting
(2) anorexia and/or early satiety
(3) autonomic dysfunction with diarrhea
(4) malabsorption with steatorrhea
(5) medications
(6) heart failure
(7) protein malnutrition associated protein-losing enteropathy and/or renal amyloidosis, especially nephrotic syndrome
(8) cancer cachexia in advanced disease
(9) depression and anxiety
(10) abdominal pain
A high serum CRP concentration may be a marker for cachexia.
The malnutrition can lead to sarcopenia which can contribute to frailty and disability.
