What could be the cause of my mother's weight loss?
1 answer
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Last updated: Jun 22, 2010
Q
Why is my mother losing weight every month or so? It is about 1 or 2 lbs. She has angina, high blood pressure and three severely blocked coronary arteries. She is 92. She is usually in good spirits.
A
James Frank is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at the V.A. Medical Center in San Francisco.
There are a lot of reasons a 92-year-old woman could be losing weight, so it's hard to answer that question. But assuming she doesn't have any other diseases, just being 92 with severe heart disease can lead to weight loss. Part of that's related to decreased activity and deconditioning; part of it might be due to the heart disease itself. But she really needs to have a full evaluation by her doctor. Her weight loss could be related to loss of appetite and not eating, or it could be another problem.
