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Definition and Diagnosis of Sarcopenia in the Research and Clinical Settings

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Frailty and Sarcopenia in Cirrhosis

Abstract

Sarcopenia or muscle wasting in patients with cirrhosis is frequent and has been reported in 40 to 60% of patients. Discrepancies in sarcopenia prevalence between studies likely result from divergent criteria for defining sarcopenia according to values below 5th percentile of age and sex-matched normal population or optimal cut points for the mortality discriminations. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) measured by computed tomography constitutes the best studied technique for measuring sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis. Cutoff values for sarcopenia, defined as SMI <50 cm2/m2 in male and <39 cm2/m2 in female patients, constitute the validated definition for sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis.

Sarcopenia is a main indicator of adverse outcomes in this population, including poor quality of life, hepatic decompensation (ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and variceal bleeding), mortality in patients with cirrhosis evaluated for liver transplantation, longer hospital and intensive care unit stay, higher incidence of infection following liver transplantation, and higher overall healthcare cost.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Aldo J. Montano-Loza & Maryam Ebadi

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  1. Aldo J. Montano-Loza
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  2. Maryam Ebadi
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Correspondence to Aldo J. Montano-Loza .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Puneeta Tandon

  2. Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Aldo J. Montano-Loza

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Montano-Loza, A.J., Ebadi, M. (2020). Definition and Diagnosis of Sarcopenia in the Research and Clinical Settings. In: Tandon, P., Montano-Loza, A. (eds) Frailty and Sarcopenia in Cirrhosis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26226-6_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26226-6_1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-26225-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-26226-6

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