Editing Cachexia (section)

=== Hormonal ===
[[Hormone]]s are signaling molecules used to regulate bodily behavior and are believed to play a role in cachexia as well.

[[Glucocorticoid]]s are produced as part of the body's natural response to stress. They are also known to play a role in muscle breakdown.<ref name="fearon-2012" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Salehian |first1=Behrouz |last2=Kejriwal |first2=Kamal |date=1999 |title=Glucocorticoid-Induced Muscle Atrophy: Mechanisms And Therapeutic Strategies |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1530891X20402952 |journal=Endocrine Practice |language=en |volume=5 |issue=5 |pages=277–281 |doi=10.4158/EP.5.5.277|pmid=15251668 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Furthermore, people with long-term illness such as cancer are frequently treated with glucocorticoids, making cachexia more likely in these individuals.<ref name="fearon-2012" />

Some tumors produce a molecule called parathyroid-related peptide (PTHrP). It increases metabolism by stimulating energy production in the [[Mitochondrion|mitochondria]] of fat cells.<ref name="petruzzelli-2016" /><ref name="nishikawa-2021" /><ref name="setiawan-2023" />

[[Leptin]] is a hormone known to decrease appetite. People with cachexia often have high leptin levels, making them feel less hungry.<ref name="nishikawa-2021" />

The [[hypothalamus]], the brain's appetite control center, is also affected in cachexia. Given the hypothalamic function in controlling appetite, it is believed to play a role in cachexia.<ref name="ferrer-2023" /> The appetite-controlling center of the hypothalamus is controlled by neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti gene-related protein (AgRP) that increase appetite, as well as proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcrip (CART) that decrease appetite.<ref name="nishikawa-2021" /><ref name="setiawan-2023" /> Inflammation may disrupt these appetite signals, causing reduced hunger and leading to further weight and muscle loss. However, scientists are still studying exactly how this process works.<ref name="petruzzelli-2016" /><ref name="nishikawa-2021" /><ref name="setiawan-2023" />