Table 1.
Characteristics of patients at baselines in the control and HMB groups.
| Variables | Control Group (n = 10) | HMB Group (n = 12) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (Years) | 59.3 ± 7.3 | 60.4 ± 5.4 | 0.68 |
| MELD score at transplantation | 16.8 ± 8.4 | 15.7 ± 7.1 | 0.70 |
| Hepato Cellular Carcinoma n (%) | 8 (80) | 8 (67) | 0.48 |
| Hospitalization after LT (days) | 10 ± 20.4 | 12 ± 18.25 | 0.57 |
| Aetiology n (%) | |||
| HCV | 4 (40) | 6 (50) | |
| Alcohol | 2 (20) | 3 (25) | |
| Autoimmune | 1 (10) | 0 | |
| Non Alcoholic Steato Hepatitis | 3 (30) | 2 (17) | 0.61 |
| HBV | 0 | 1 (8) | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 25.7 ± 4.9 | 24.5 ± 3.0 | 0.48 |
| MAC (cm) | 29.8 ± 5.0 | 28.9 ± 2.8 | 0.61 |
| TSF (mm) | 8.75 ± 2.5 | 9.0 ± 2.9 | 0.81 |
| MAMC (cm) | 27.1 ± 4.5 | 26.1 ± 2.3 | 0.51 |
| FMI (kg/m²) | 6.9 ± 4.4 | 7.1 ± 2.1 | 0.9 |
| FFMI (kg/m²) | 17.5 ± 2.4 | 16.6 ± 1.5 | 0.29 |
| ASMI (kg/m²) | 7.2 ± 1.4 | 6.9 ± 0.7 | 0.53 |
| ASMI [<5° percentile] n (%) | 4 (40) | 7 (58) | 0.39 |
| FFMI [<5° percentile] n (%) | 4 (40) | 8 (67) | 0.21 |
| FMI [>95° percentile] n (%) | 3 (30) | 1 (8) | 0.19 |
| HG (kg) | 32 ± 10.2 | 26.7 ± 8.3 | 0.17 |
| 6MWT (m) | 316.5 ± 203.5 | 334.8 ± 129.2 | 0.80 |
| TUG (s) | 8.2 ± 4.9 | 9.7 ± 4.5 | 0.47 |
| Calorie Intake (kcal/kg/die) | 23.8 ± 6.3 | 22.7 ± 8.6 | 0.76 |
| Protein intake (g/kg/die) | 0.7 ± 0.2 | 0.9 ± 0.2 | 0.55 |
| Diabetes pre-LT n (%) | 5 (50) | 6 (50) | 0.99 |
| Arterial Hypertension pre-LT n (%) | 4 (40) | 7 (58) | 0.53 |
| Diabetes post-LT n (%) | 2 (20) | 5 (42) | 0.35 |
| Arterial Hypertension post-LT n (%) | 5 (50) | 7 (58) | 0.53 |
MELD: model of end stage liver disease; BMI: body mass index; MAC: mid-arm circumference; TSF: tricep skinfold-thickness; MAMC: mid-arm muscle-circumference; FMI: fat mass index; FFMI: fat-free mass index; ASMI: appendicular skeletal muscle index; HG: hand grip; 6MWT: 6 minute walk test; TUG: time up and go.