Hypermetabolism in ALS is associated with greater functional decline and shorter survival

Nutrition & Weight

• Why can it become harder to eat enough, and what affects weight?

  !Qualifies this

  “Taking in less while using more energy can combine to cause weight loss that was not intended.”

  Qualifies the using-more half of this. In the same study, weight, body mass index and fat mass changed no differently in the people with raised resting energy use than in the rest, and the authors say no study has yet shown that raised energy use itself causes greater weight loss.

  In contrast to the perception that hypermetabolism could be a primary cause for weight loss, there has been no study to definitively show that hypermetabolism contributes to a greater degree of weight loss in ALS.

  Discussion

• Why can it become harder to eat enough, and what affects weight?

  ✓Supports this

  “For some people ALS/MND raises the amount of energy the body uses at rest.”

  Measured resting energy use directly in 58 people with ALS and 58 age and sex matched controls, comparing it with what each person's body composition predicts. Raised resting energy use was found in about four in ten of the ALS group and about one in ten of the controls, so it affects a substantial minority rather than everyone.

  Hypermetabolism was more prevalent in patients with ALS than controls (41% vs 12%, adjusted OR=5.4; p<0.01).

  Results