Muscle strength and physical performance, rather than muscle mass, correlate with mortality in end-stage liver disease
Abstract
Objectives: Sarcopenia is characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength and performance. The study aimed to provide cut off values of various Sarcopenia parameters [computerized tomography skeletal muscle index (SMI), handgrip strength (HGS), gait velocity and chair stand] to predict mortality in end-stage liver disease (ESLD).
Methods: The inclusion criteria were age 18-75 years, model for end-stage liver disease > 15. All patients with advanced heart, lung, kidney diseases, active malignancy were excluded from the study.
Sarcopenia indices were compared between survivors and non-survivors to find cut off value for prediction of mortality in ESLD patients. Results: One hundred sixty-one subjects suffering from ESLD were enrolled.
The cutoff value of the SMI to identify high risk of mortality in sarcopenia patients is =20.9 seconds, AUC 0.956 (95% CI 0.910-0.983). In the multivariate analysis, HGS, gait velocity and chair stand correlated with mortality.
Conclusion: The current study is a comprehensive Asian study that gives the cut off values of Sarcopenia: muscle mass, strength and performance which identify high risk of mortality in ESLD patients. Muscle strength and performance correlated with mortality.