Science Advances, lays the groundwork for future studies to determine if the same is true in humans.According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), cachexia typically accompanies severe chronic illnesses such as cancer.
It is characterized by the wasting away of the body’s muscle and fat.Cachexia may be responsible for up to a third of cancer-related deaths.
It can also affect people with other serious conditions, such as AIDS, chronic kidney diseases, and heart failure.According to Dr.
Alfred Goldberg — of the Harvard University School of Medicine in Cambridge, MA — cachexia may be due to the body overcompensating when it attempts to take energy from muscle and fat to help fight a severe illness.