Usually an unrecognized cancer will have other symptoms or abnormalities of laboratory tests in addition to unexplained weight loss. Height loss is especially worrisome if it is largely the result of a compression fracture or other skeletal conditions.
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Weight Loss Mistakes 7 Common Missteps Seniors Make
Does weight loss cause height loss. Loss of disc height can be caused due to osteoporosis spondylosis vertebral compression fracture and degeneration of disc. And the same loss of muscle that contributes to shrinkage can also contribute to back pain. Webmd does not provide medical advice diagnosis or treatment. Rapid height loss in men can also signal a higher risk of heart disease a 2006 british study found. Villareal md and colleagues at. Men who lose 12 inches or more over 20 years as opposed to the more normal 30 or 40 years were 46 percent more likely to have suffered from coronary heart disease and 64 percent more likely to have died from any cause compared to men who.
Weight loss resulting in diminished health and fitness levels may lead to decreased height. Unexplained weight loss has many causes medical and nonmedical. Loss of disc height can cause the occurrence of nerve impingement bone and joint inflammation as well as resultant pain. It might indicate an underlying condition. The loss of disc height is so common in aging adults. As people age loss of disc height occurs and they are likely to lose height and become rigid.
Such fractures can cause back pain and limit mobility though often there is no pain or other symptoms. Weight loss due to a very low calorie diet products that have a diuretic effect or high protein low carbohydrate food plans may cause an initial weight loss of up to 10 pounds in the first two weeks. A gradual loss of height and an accompanying stooped posture. Often a combination of things results in a general decline in your health and a related weight loss. Sometimes a specific cause isnt found. When you lose weight by changing what you eat two thirds of the weight you lose is fat and about one third is muscle says william samuel yancy md director of the duke diet.
Even if you dont lose enough weight to gain a few millimeters of height back even a modest weight loss can provide significant health benefits. A good rule of thumb is to see your doctor if youve lost a. That finding comes from a study by dennis t. Unexplained weight loss or losing weight without trying can be a cause for concern. A weight loss of 5 to 10 percent is enough to give yourself the gift of better control over your blood sugar reduced blood pressure and reduced cholesterol levels. Causes symptoms risk factors and treatment.
11 2006 overweight dieters who cut calories but dont exercise lose more than weight they lose bone mass.