Mechanisms of Altered Regulation of Food Intake in Chronic Kidney Disease

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently experience loss of appetite (anorexia), which increases in severity during disease progression. The optimal management of patients with CKD and overt anorexia depends on an appropriate understanding of the causes of anorexia that are related to advanced CKD. This review aims to provide an overview of the multifactorial mechanisms concurrently contributing to the high prevalence of anorexia in the uremic population with advanced CKD. (C) 2011 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.