Sarcopenia and two types of presarcopenia in Japanese patients with chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The frequency of sarcopenia, defined as loss of both muscle volume and strength, was analyzed in chronic liver disease (CLD).

METHODS AND MATERIALS: From April to September 2015, 807 Japanese CLD patients treated as outpatients were enrolled (67.1±10.0 years, men : women=466 : 341, hepatitis C virus : hepatitis B virus : hepatitis B and C virus : alcohol : other=511 : 134 : 3 : 45 : 114). Sarcopenia was diagnosed when the patient showed muscle volume loss and reduced handgrip strength, whereas those with only muscle volume loss were classified as 'v-presarcopenia' and those with only reduced handgrip strength were classified as 's-presarcopenia'. Muscle volume loss was determined using computed tomography findings and a previously reported index (psoas index), and cut-off values for reduced handgrip strength presented by the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) (AWGS/grip criteria) and European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) (EWGSOP/grip criteria) (men; 26 and 30 kg, women; 18 and 20 kg, respectively) were used. Clinical features were analyzed for diagnoses of chronic hepatitis (CH, n=381), liver cirrhosis Child-Pugh A (n=330), and liver cirrhosis Child-Pugh B/C (n=96).

RESULTS: When the AWGS/grip criteria were used, the frequencies of sarcopenia, v-presarcopenia, and s-presarcopenia in CH were 3.9, 7.9, and 19.4%, whereas those in Child-Pugh A were 4.8, 17.6, and 21.8% and those in Child-Pugh B/C were 16.7, 11.5, and 39.6%, respectively. When the EWGSOP/grip criteria were used, these frequencies were 7.1, 4.7, and 33.1%, in CH, 11.8, 10.6, and 32.7%, in Child-Pugh A, and 21.9, 6.3, and 49.0%, in Child-Pugh B/C, respectively. The incidence rates of sarcopenia and both types of presarcopenia increased with progression of CLD.

CONCLUSION: Evaluation of handgrip strength and psoas index is an easy and effective method for the detection of sarcopenia and presarcopenia.