Annual changes in grip strength and skeletal muscle mass in chronic liver disease: observational study

Abstract

Sarcopenia is a common complication in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD); however, the progression of sarcopenia over the course of CLD is unclear. The present study therefore determined the natural course of the progression of sarcopenia in patients with CLD and the effect of liver cirrhosis (LC) on this progression. This observational study analyzed patients with chronic hepatitis (CH) (n = 536) and LC (n = 320) who underwent evaluations of the grip strength and skeletal muscle mass of the arms, trunk, and legs for sarcopenia between 2016 and 2021. A bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to evaluate skeletal muscle mass. The annual rate of change (%/year) in two tests were compared between patients with CH and LC. The annual rates of change in grip strength and skeletal muscle of arms, trunk, and legs of patients with CH and LC were − 0.84% vs. − 2.93%, − 0.54% vs. − 1.71%, − 0.43% vs. − 1.02%, and − 0.76% vs. − 1.70% for men and − 0.12% vs. − 1.71%, − 0.66% vs. − 1.71%, − 0.49% vs. − 1.31%, and − 0.76% vs. − 1.54% for women, respectively. The progression of sarcopenia was greater in LC patients than in CH patients and that the decrease in grip strength was most prominent in the progression of sarcopenia in patients with LC.