‘Feeling Full’ Hormone Increase in Seniors May Explain ‘Anorexia of Aging’

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Termed “anorexia of aging,” loss of appetite is common among elderly adults, with around 15-20 percent of seniors experiencing unintentional weight loss as a result.

While loss of appetite in seniors can be driven by emotional issues, such as depression or grief, in many cases, no underlying cause can be found.

Previous research has suggested loss of appetite in the elderly may be down to reduced production of ghrelin – a hormone that tells humans when they are hungry.

However, the new study – conducted by Mary Hickson, professor of dietetics at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom, and colleagues – found the hormone peptide YY may be to blame.

To reach their findings – published in the journal Appetite – the researchers enrolled 31 healthy adults aged 21-92 years, of whom six were over the age of 80.

They note that one major challenge with this research was finding elderly adults free of health problems, but that this was needed in order to assess changes in appetite control, independent of illness… Read More>>

Source: Medical News Today

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