Cachexia and Muscle Wasting in Heart Failure and COPD

Wasting can present in different forms in patients with chronic illness. Whilst cachexia can be easily diagnosed using weighing scales, the diagnosis of sarcopenia, i.e. loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, requires more sophisticated technologies. Indeed, sarcopenia and cachexia are different clinical entities. In patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), both have been well recognized as common and partly reversible features that have tremendous effects on patients exercise capacity, quality of life and on survival. Therapeutic approaches may require a combined approach embracing exercise training, nutritional counselling, and drug therapy.