The association between sarcopenia and prognosis in patients with cirrhosis remains to be determined. In this study, we aimed to quantify the association between sarcopenia and the risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis, stratified by sex, underlying liver disease etiology, and severity of hepatic dysfunction. PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and major scientific conference sessions were searched without language restriction through 13 January 2021 with an additional manual search of bibliographies of relevant articles. Cohort studies of ≥100 patients with cirrhosis and ≥12 months of follow-up that evaluated the association between sarcopenia, muscle mass and the risk of mortality were included. Twenty-two studies involving 6,965 patients with cirrhosis were included. The pooled prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis was 37.5% overall (95% CI 32.4%-42.8%), and was higher in male patients, those with alcohol-associated liver disease, those with Child-Pugh grade C cirrhosis, and when sarcopenia was defined by L3-SMI (third lumbar-skeletal muscle index). Sarcopenia was associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.30, 95% CI 2.01-2.63), with similar findings in a sensitivity analysis of patients with cirrhosis without hepatocellular carcinoma (aHR 2.35, 95% CI 1.95-2.83) and in subgroups stratified by sex, liver disease etiology, and severity of hepatic dysfunction. The association between quantitative muscle mass index and mortality further supports the association between sarcopenia and poor prognosis (aHR 0.95, 95% CI 0.93-0.98). There was no significant heterogeneity in any of our analyses. Sarcopenia was highly and independently associated with higher risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis. The prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with death in patients with cirrhosis remain unclear. This meta-analysis indicated that sarcopenia affected about one-third of patients with cirrhosis and up to 50% of patients with alcohol-related liver disease or Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis. Sarcopenia was independently associated with an ∼2-fold higher risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis. The mortality rate increased with greater severity or longer durations of sarcopenia. Increasing awareness about the importance of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis among stakeholders must be prioritized.

Skeletal muscle depletion, referred to as sarcopenia, predicts morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing digestive surgery. However, the impact on liver transplantation is unclear. The present study investigated the impact of sarcopenia on patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Sarcopenia was assessed by a body composition analyzer in 124 adult patients undergoing LDLT between February 2008 and April 2012. The correlation of sarcopenia with other patient factors and the impact of sarcopenia on survival after LDLT were analyzed. The median ratio of preoperative skeletal muscle mass was 92% (range, 67–130%) of the standard mass. Preoperative skeletal muscle mass was significantly correlated with the branched‐chain amino acids to tyrosine ratio (r = −0.254, p = 0.005) and body cell mass (r = 0.636, p < 0.001). The overall survival rate in patients with low skeletal muscle mass was significantly lower than in patients with normal/high skeletal muscle mass (p < 0.001). Perioperative nutritional therapy significantly increased overall survival in patients with low skeletal muscle mass (p = 0.009). Multivariate analysis showed that low skeletal muscle mass was an independent risk factor for death after transplantation. In conclusion, sarcopenia was closely involved with posttransplant mortality in patients undergoing LDLT. Perioperative nutritional therapy significantly improved overall survival in patients with sarcopenia.

Skeletal muscle depletion, referred to as sarcopenia, is predictive of mortality in patients undergoing digestive operations. The impact of muscle quality on outcomes, however, is unclear. This retrospective study investigated the impact of preoperative skeletal muscle quantity and quality on survival in patients undergoing resection of pancreatic cancer. We investigated 230 patients who underwent resection of pancreatic cancer between 2004 and 2013. The quantity and quality of skeletal muscle, indicated by psoas muscle mass index (PMI) and intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC), were measured in preoperative computed tomography images. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were compared according to PMI and IMAC, and prognostic factors after pancreatic resection were assessed. The OS and RFS rates in patients with low PMI were lesser than in those with normal/high PMI (P < .001, P < .001), with a mean survival time of 17.7 and 33.2 months, respectively. The OS and RFS rates in patients with high IMAC also were less than in those with normal/low IMAC (P < .001, P = .003) (mean survival time = 21.5 and 56.5 months, respectively). Low PMI (low muscle mass) and high IMAC (low muscle quality) were independent prognostic factors of poor OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.999, P < .001; HR = 2.527, P < .001) and RFS (HR = 1.607, P = .007; HR = 1.640, P = .004), respectively. Preoperative sarcopenia, indicating low quality and quantity of skeletal muscle, is closely related to mortality after resection of pancreatic cancer.

Intramuscular fat accumulation has come to be associated with loss of muscle strength and function, one of the components of sarcopenia. However, the impact of preoperative quality of skeletal muscle on outcomes after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is unclear. The present study evaluated the intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC) and psoas muscle mass index (PMI) in 200 adult patients undergoing LDLT at our institution between January 2008 and October 2013. Correlations of IMAC with other factors, overall survival rates in patients classified according to IMAC or PMI, and risk factors for poor survival after LDLT were analyzed. IMAC was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.229, P = 0.03) and PMI (r = −0.236, P = 0.02) in males and with age (r = 0.349, P < 0.001) and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)-to-tyrosine ratio (r = −0.250, P = 0.01) in females. The overall survival rates in patients with high IMAC or low PMI were significantly lower than those for patients with normal IMAC or PMI (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that high IMAC [odds ratio (OR) = 3.898, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.025-7.757, P < 0.001] and low PMI (OR = 3.635, 95% CI = 1.896-7.174, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for death after LDLT. In conclusion, high IMAC and low PMI were closely involved with posttransplant mortality. Preoperative quality and quantity of skeletal muscle could be incorporated into new selection criteria for LDLT. Perioperative nutritional therapy and rehabilitation could be important for good outcomes after LDLT. Liver Transpl 20:1413-1419, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.