APPETITE STIMULANTS: INSIGHTS INTO PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS

ABSTRACT: Chronic and acute illnesses can impact patients’ appetite and weight, potentially leading to cachexia. Although these changes typically progress over weeks to months, acutely ill patients may experience a loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss in a shorter period, potentially causing further complications like severe anorexia, cachexia, depression, and increased infection risk. These complications may necessitate additional therapies and longer hospital stays. Therapy should focus on preventing further weight loss or facilitating weight gain, especially in aging patients and those with psychological disorders, malignancy, chronic infections, and other chronic disease states. Unintentional weight loss, defined as 5% of body weight in a month or 10% in a 6-month period, may occur more rapidly in acutely ill patients. Medications like dronabinol, megestrol, and mirtazapine can help patients improve appetite and gain weight over weeks to months. Keywords: Appetite; Orexigenic; Dronabinol; Megestrol; Mirtazapine