Abstract
Sarcopenia, defined as progressive and generalized loss of muscle mass and strength,
is common in chronic liver disease. It significantly impacts the quality of life and
increases the risk of liver-related complications and mortality in cirrhotic patients.
Moreover, recent studies showed a negative impact of sarcopenia on patients awaiting
liver transplantation (LT), on post-LT outcomes, and on response to hepatocellular
carcinoma therapies. Data about the influence of sex on the incidence, prevalence,
diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia in chronic liver diseases are poor and conflicting.
The aims of this review of the literature are to define sex differences in sarcopenic
cirrhotic patients and to highlight the necessity of a sex stratified analysis in
future studies. This analysis of the literature showed that most of the studies are
retrospective, with a higher prevalence of sarcopenia in males, probably due to anatomical
differences between the sexes. Moreover, diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia are different
between studies, as there is not a defined cut-off and, as a consequence, no comparable
results. In conclusion, sex seems to have an impact on sarcopenia, and future studies
must accurately investigate its role in identifying and treating high-risk patients,
reducing the negative impact of sarcopenia on the survival and quality of life of
cirrhotic patients.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 14, 2021
Accepted:
October 25,
2021
Received:
June 5,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
