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The Definition and Diagnosis of Frailty in the Research and Clinical Settings

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Frailty and Sarcopenia in Cirrhosis

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Abstract

Frailty is characterized by reduced physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to health stressors, and it is prevalent among patients with cirrhosis and particularly in those listed for liver transplantation. It is recommended to base frailty diagnosis on physical function or performance-based testing. Pending the development of consensus documents and clinical practice guidelines, multiple tools can be used to objectively assess frailty in patients with cirrhosis, including the Liver Frailty Index, gait speed testing, and the 6-minute walk test. In research settings, cardiopulmonary exercise testing is expected to provide additional information on exercise physiology. Regardless of the used tool, there is almost universal agreement on the association of frailty with worse clinical outcomes. Given the evidence linking frailty to increased healthcare costs, it is of the utmost importance to develop a model of care that includes baseline evaluation and frailty monitoring as part of the routine care of patients with cirrhosis.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Hui-Wei Chen & Andres Duarte-Rojo

  2. Center for Liver Diseases and Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Andres Duarte-Rojo

Authors
  1. Hui-Wei Chen
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  2. Andres Duarte-Rojo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andres Duarte-Rojo .

Editor information

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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Chen, HW., Duarte-Rojo, A. (2020). The Definition and Diagnosis of Frailty 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_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26226-6_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-26225-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-26226-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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