Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients with cirrhosis
| Total cohort | Younger adults | Older adults | P‐value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | (n = 239) | (n = 91) | (n = 148) | |
| Age, years | 68 (58–76) | 55 (50–60) | 74 (70–79) | <0.001 |
| Men | 125 (52) | 53 (58) | 72 (49) | 0.182 |
| Number of medications used | 6 (4–8) | 5 (4–7) | 7 (3–9) | 0.069 |
| Polypharmacy | 127 (53) | 41 (45) | 86 (58) | 0.049 |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Diabetes mellitus | 66 (28) | 23 (25) | 43 (29) | 0.555 |
| Hypertension | 151 (63) | 51 (56) | 100 (68) | 0.097 |
| Dyslipidemia | 6 (3) | 2 (2) | 4 (3) | 0.809 |
| Etiology of cirrhosis | ||||
| Hepatitis B virus | 17 (7) | 3 (3) | 14 (10) | 0.002 |
| Hepatitis C virus | 68 (29) | 19 (21) | 49 (33) | |
| Alcoholic | 60 (25) | 34 (37) | 26 (18) | |
| Others | 94 (39) | 35 (39) | 59 (40) | |
| Ascites | 113 (47) | 44 (48) | 69 (47) | 0.894 |
| Hepatic encephalopathy | 23 (10) | 7 (8) | 16 (11) | 0.503 |
| MELD score | 9 (7–12) | 10 (8–12) | 9 (7–12) | 0.155 |
| Child–Pugh score | 7 (5–9) | 7 (6–9) | 7 (5–9) | 0.525 |
| Albumin, g/dl | 3.2 (2.6–3.7) | 3.2 (2.5–3.5) | 3.2 (2.6–3.8) | 0.454 |
| Creatinine, mg/dl | 0.71 (0.60–0.90) | 0.65 (0.52–0.78) | 0.74 (0.63–0.93) | 0.002 |
| Sodium, mEq/L | 138 (136–140) | 138 (137–140) | 138 (136–140) | 0.401 |
| Total bilirubin, mg/dl | 1.2 (0.8–1.7) | 1.3 (0.9–1.9) | 1.1 (0.8–1.6) | 0.057 |
| International normalized ratio | 1.12 (1.03–1.26) | 1.18 (1.04–1.31) | 1.10 (1.02–1.23) | 0.008 |
| Body composition | ||||
| Height, cm | 158 (150–166) | 164 (158–171) | 155 (149–161) | <0.001 |
| Weight, kg | 58.3 (50.3–65.9) | 63.7 (53.9–74.6) | 56.0 (48.8–62.5) | <0.001 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 22.7 (21.4–25.4) | 22.73 (21.8–26.3) | 22.7 (21.0–25.1) | 0.238 |
| Grip strength, kg | 20.9 (16.5–29.2) | 26.8 (19.7–35.5) | 18.6 (14.5–24.9) | <0.001 |
| Skeletal muscle index, cm2/m2 | 41.9 (36.2–49.1) | 44.9 (38.1–50.0) | 40.1 (35.7–47.8) | 0.011 |
| Sarcopenia | 69 (29) | 14 (15) | 55 (37) | <0.001 |
Note: Values are presented as numbers (percentages) or medians (interquartile ranges).
Abbreviation: MELD, Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease.
*
Clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared using the chi‐square test for categorical variables or the Mann–Whitney U‐test for continuous variables.