LOSE WEIGHT LOSS WITHOUT A DIET SERIOUSLY

Berlin - If you lose more than 10% of your weight without a diet within half a year, you should contact your GP or a gastroenterologist, the German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) recommends. In one-third of cases, weight loss is associated with diseases of the digestive tract, such as infection, intolerance or chronic inflammatory disease. The experts of the company are also emphasizing the need to clarify deficiencies.

"Of course, loss of weight can also be caused by non-gastroenterological disorders and may result from a depression or problems with the dentures," explains Professor Dr. med. Georg Lamprecht, Chief Physician of the Department of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the University Hospital Rostock. However, if weight loss is associated with buzzing, diarrhea, or constipation, the problem is usually the digestive tract. "When the body does not adequately split or resorb the food ingredients, we are talking about a malassimilation syndrome," explains the spokesman of the DGVS Working Community on Nutritional Medicine. Causes can be a whole series of partly frequent but also rare diseases, which are best clarified by a gastroenterologist.

"As the symptoms are often unspecific, diagnostics is a challenge," Lamprecht said. For example, a "microscopic colitis" can indicate abdominal pain and diarrhea, including the gluten intolerance "celiac disease", chronic inflammatory disease "Crohn's Disease" or even inflammation of the colon. However, diseases of the pancreas or consequences of operations in the abdomen, which may well have been a long time ago, also come into question. It is helpful if patients can describe their complaints as accurately as possible, says Lamprecht: Do pain occur before or after eating? Is the stool especially watery? Do diarrhea and constipation change?

In addition, the doctor's laboratory tests of blood, urine and stool, as well as imaging procedures help to make the correct diagnosis. If necessary, he removes tissue from the stomach or intestine and examines it for pathological changes. In addition to the more frequent disease pictures, it also applies to rare diseases, according to Lamprecht. For example, decades after a radiation treatment, damage to the intestinal tissue could lead to so-called radiation oedema.

"The first step is to recognize the problem, to seek medical help, and to prevent any imminent shortages," Lamprecht says. After all, digestive diseases do not only lead to loss of weight: If the body does not have enough minerals, vitamins and trace elements, the patients feel tired and poorly efficient. "The faster we can counter the better," the DGVS expert said.

Source:
Fromhold-Treu, S., Lamprecht, G .: Gastrointestinal causes of weight loss: clinic, diagnostics, therapy, Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2016; 141 (04): 253-260, DOI: 10.1055 / s-0041-111200

The German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) was founded in 1913 as a scientific expert for the research of digestive organs. Today, it brings together more than 5000 doctors and scientists from the gastroenterology sector under one roof. The DGVS very successfully promotes scientific projects and studies, organizes congresses and training and actively supports the young academics. A particular concern of the DGVS is the development of standards and treatment guidelines for the diagnosis and therapy of diseases of the digestive organs - for the benefit of the patient.

Let's go my Book Fairs project