Assessment of weight loss and treatment Indications of assessment .

Assessment of weight loss and treatment

Indications of assessment .

1. Following are the indication for assessment of weight loss . When the patient has 
2. 5% weight loss in one month
3. 10% weight loss in six months
4. Body mass index < 21
5. Change in fit of clothing
6. Change in appetite, smell, or taste
7. Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, dysphagia

Assessment of people with weight loss.

Those with significant weight loss usually manifest , four cardinal manifestation.They are given below

1. Loss of appetite
2. Loss of muscle mass Cachexia (combines weight loss, loss of muscle and adipose tissue,loss of appetite, and weakness)
3. Dehydration.
4. Detailed history and physical examination  including dental evaluation is very important .

Other things to be done as part of assessment are

1. Cancer screening
2. Mini-Mental State Examination
3. Mini-Nutritional Assessment
4. Assessment Questionnaire
5. Observation of eating
6. Activities of daily living
7. Instrumental activities of daily
8. Living

Almost all patients with malignancy and more than 90% of those with weight loss due to a reason will have at least one laboratory abnormality.Tests to be done are

Laboratory tests

Complete blood count
Comprehensive electrolyte and metabolic panel,including liver and kidney  function tests

Thyroid function tests

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate

C-reactive protein

Ferritin

HIV testing, if indicated in high risk persons

Radiology

Chest x-ray

Abdominal ultrasound (USG)

Treatment

1. First thing to be done is to identification and treatment of  the underlying cause.
2. Certain causes are treatable which include metabolic, psychiatric, infectious, or other systemic disorders .That will help to restore the weight.
3. Drugs causing nausea and loss of appetite should be changed.
4. Nutritional supplementation , high-energy drinks,supplements should be taken between meals
5. In some patients  antidepressant mirtazapine results in a significant increase in body weight.

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Super foods that fight against cancer

Cancer is a dreaded disease where prevention is better than cure.One of the major culprit in cancer is your unhealthy and faulty food habits.There are food substance that enable you to fight against cancer.They act by boosting our immune system and supporting our body.They help you to stay a head of cancer and improve your health.

Super foods that prevent cancer

We usually neglet those powerful foods that prevent cancer, they have powerful action on your health and immune system.

1.Vegetables and fruits
You should consume more variety of fruits and to prevent cancer.Vegetables that act against cancer are Broccoli, brusselsprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, kale, onions(red), peppers, radishes ,soy, squash, sweetpotatoes, tomatoes,yams

Anti-cancer fruits include the following

Apricots,blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papayas, peaches, persimmons, strawberries, organic, tangerines

Include atleast five sevings of vegetables and fruits in your daily food

2.Fiber rich food 
Eat fiber rich food as they will reduce the cancer risk , which include whole grains,beans, fruits and vegetables.

3.Plant based foods,
Eat predominantly plant based foods, foods of plant origin are low in their caloric and fat content.They are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants which are strong anticancer agents.Apart from the anticancer effect of fibers the legumes (such as seeds, rice, beans, and chick peas soy beans) have anti cancer properties due to their protease inhibitor function.So they reduce the growth of colon, breast and skin cancers. 

4.Green tea 
Consumption of green tea is useful in cancer prevention.

5.Peanuts and Peanut butter
Consume more Peanuts and Peanut butter.Consumption of vitmin E rich foods helps to reduce the risk of colon, stomach liver and lung cancer.Peanuts, peanut butter, sunflower seeds almond, almond butter are rich source of vitamin E they make your cells strong enough to fight agaist cancer.

6.Vitamin D rich food
Eat vitamin D rich food,as low vitamin D have been associated with the cancer especially breast, prostate and colon cancer.Wild salmon, vitamin D fortified dairy product such as yogurt and milk increases your vitamin D level.Vitamin D inhibit the blood vessel formation that feeds the tumor cell,thus helps to arrest the cell growth.

8.Foods rich in calcium
Consume foods rich in calcium.High calcium intake is associated with decreased incidence of colorectal cancer.Calcium acts in the following ways to prevent cancer

a.It can control the multiplication of cells that line the colon.As uncontrolled growth is the basic pathology in cancer it help to reduce cancer.

b.Calcium can bind with bile acid and protect the colon from the irritating effect of bile which is a carcinogen.

If you want to reduce the cancer risk consume 500 to 1000 mg of calcium daily along with dietary source of calcium.Dose required is 2000mg to suppress uncontrolled proliferation.Dairy products bony fish and yogurt are rich source of calcium.

9.Food rich in selenium
Consume food rich in selenium.Selenium has strong antioxidant property, thus helps to scavenge the free radicals that produce cancer.They are shown to reduce the colonic cancer.To get the maximum benefit of selenium consume it with vitaminE rich foods.Fish particularly redsnapper, shrimp, lobster, whole grain, vegetables are rich in selenium.

10.Acidophilus and cancer prevention.

Acidophilus are intestine friendly bacteria that can act as anti cancer agent and prevent colonic cancer

How it prevent cancer?

The growth of other intestine friendly bacterias is stimulated by them. They reduce bile acid to carcinogen conversion.
Lacto bacillus acidophilus reduces the colonic enzyme that produce carcinogen formation in the intestine.

Consume yogurt with the L.A.C. (live active cultures) seal 

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