Table 2.
The impact of sarcopenia and frailty on the risk of HE
| Study | Patient population | Diagnostic test | Prevalence of sarcopenia | Relation to HE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalaitzakis et al. [59] | 128 patients with cirrhosis | Anthropometry | 40% | HE in 46% with malnutrition vs. 27% without malnutrition (P=0.03) |
| Huisman et al. [60] | 84 patients with cirrhosis | Jamar hand grip strength | 67% | HE in 29% with malnutrition vs. 0% without malnutrition (P<0.01) |
| Meza-Junco et al. [61] | 116 patients with HCC being evaluated for LT | Skeletal muscle mass at the third lumbar spine | 35% | HE in 23% with sarcopenia vs. 12% without sarcopenia (P=0.2) |
| Merli et al. [14] | 300 patients with cirrhosis | Anthropometry | 48% | Overt HE in 30% with sarcopenia vs. 15% without sarcopenia (P=0.003) |
| Minimal HE in 49% with sarcopenia vs. 30% without sarcopenia (P=0.001) | ||||
| Montano-Loza et al. [62] | 248 patients with cirrhosis undergoing LT | 3rd lumbar spine area | 45% | HE in 60% with sarcopenia vs. 49% without sarcopenia (P=0.10) |
| Verna et al. [63] | 82 patients on the LT wait list | Fried Frailty Instrument | 38% | HE in 65% of frail patients vs. 46% who were not frail (P=0.10) |
| Lai et al. [64] | 294 patients on the LT wait list | Fried Frailty Instrument | 17% | HE in 26% of frail patients vs. 17% who were not frail (P=0.17) |
HE, hepatic encephalopathy; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; LT, liver transplantation.