Background and objectives: Sarcopenia characterized by progressive
and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and function
with a risk of adverse outcomes such as. There is an important
relationship between cirrhosis and muscle weakness (sarcopenia),
as the liver plays a major role in the metabolism of all nutrients. The
Aim of this study to assess muscle status and sarcopenia among
patients with liver cirrhosis and its relation to patient physical activity
and dietary history as well as liver disease progression. Method:
This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 150 cirrhotic patients
attending to hepatology and gastroenterology department at Specialized
Medical Hospital, Mansoura University. All patients underwent
through clinical evaluation, laboratory investigation, and assessment
of muscle status by anthropometric parameters and grip strength.
In addition, assessment of nutritional status and physical activity was
done. Results: Of included participants, 80 patients (53.3%) were
diagnosed with sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia (39.3% sarcopenic
and 14% pre-sarcopenia) and 70 patients with non sarcopenia or presarcopenia.
Almost two-third of sarcopenic patients were men (66.4%)
versus (33.6%) were women. The sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia
patients were older than non-sarcopenia patients and had lower
BMI with statistically significant difference. The majority of patients
with sarcopenia consumed diet with low protein, low vitamin and
iron contents with statistically significant difference versus non
sarcopenic patients. On other hand, excess salt and minerals
intake were common among sarcopenic and pre-sarcopenic
patients. Assessment of physical activity among studied group by
International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ) demonstrated
that, 53% of sarcopenic and pre-sarcopenic patients exerted low
or no exercise with statistically significant difference compared to
non-sarcopenic group (only 12%). Frequency of complications of
liver cirrhosis as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and variceal
bleeding were statistically significant higher in those patients with
sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia versus those without sarcopenia.
There was significant hypoalbuminemia, hyperbilurbinemia and
rising serum creatinine among sarcopenic patients versus nonsarcopenic
patients. Positive statistically significant association
detected between Sarcopenia and progression of liver diseases
assessed by Child Pugh score and MELD score versus non
sarcopenic patients. The independent predictive factors of
sarcopenia analysed by logistic regression were increasing age,
low BMI, low protein intake and hypoalbuminemia. Conclusion:
The prevalence of sarcopenia is high in cirrhotic patients. It was
highest in patients with older age, low BMI and low protein intake.
Also, the worse the condition of the liver the greater the degree of
muscle weakness was detected.