Clinical Overview of Sarcopenia, Frailty, and Malnutrition in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis

Abstract

Sarcopenia, frailty, and malnutrition in patients with liver cirrhosis are commonly observed and are associated with higher long-term mortality. Therefore, recognizing patients with increased nutritional risk and providing recommended interventions are essential in the long- and short-term management of cirrhosis, especially as alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease continues to rise. Various assessment tools are available to gauge frailty and malnutrition but are infrequently used. Given the global burden of liver cirrhosis, periodic screening for malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty is desperately needed as it improves liver transplantation outcomes. Necessary steps include addressing knowledge gaps in professional healthcare workers and patients and using standardized assessment tools to counteract physical deconditioning as early as possible. One potential method for assessing sarcopenia involves using computed tomography to evaluate the skeletal muscle index. Regarding frailty, useful tools for longitudinal assessment include the liver frailty index and the Karnofsky performance status. Addressing educational requirements related to malnutrition involves seeking guidance from dieticians, who can provide counseling on achieving sufficient calorie and protein intake to combat the progression of malnutrition.

Gastroenterol Res. 2024;17(2):53-63
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/gr1707