When cachexia is associated with heart failure, patients have a devastating prognosis.

Animal models are important to unravel the pathophysiology of diseases in order to find new therapeutical targets.

Most studies on cachexia use animal models of cancer cachexia.

The availability of animal models of cardiac cachexia is crucial to allow a rigorous assessment of treatments.

Genetic, pharmacological and surgical models have been proposed for cachexia of cardiac origin.