Association of Sarcopenia with Health Related Quality of Life in Cirrhotics.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia is one of the most common complication associated with mortality in cirrhotic patients. However, the lack of an objective and reliable method to quantify muscle mass has limited the general incorporation of sarcopenia into cirrhosis prognostic scores. In this article, we highlight crosssectional imaging-based estimation of skeletal muscle mass for diagnosing sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients and its effect on health related quality of life. METHODS: After getting ethical clearance and informed consent, all patients with cirrhosis were taken and assessed for sarcopenia using thigh muscle based index The average feather index was used in conjunction with BMI in determining the probability of sarcopenia. The CLDQ was used to assess the health related quality of life. The chi-square and Pearsons coefficient were used for analyzing correlation between sarcopenia and other variables. RESULTS & DISCUSSION: In our study, out of the 288 patients, sarcopenia was present in 132 patients (45.83%). Sarcopenia was present in 18.2% in CHILD A,42.4 % in CHID B and 90.5 % in CHILD C cirrhotics. Sarcopenia was highest in autoimmune hepatitis related cirrhosis (80%), followed by NASH (61.9%),followed by ethanol (42.4%), followed by HCV (28.5%) and HBV (16.6%). Sarcopenia had a moderate negative correlation with health related Quality of life as assessed by CLD Q particularly in relation with systemic symptoms and activity. CONCLUSION: The factors like high MELD, CHILD C cirrhosis, NASH as etiology, were associated with higher prevalence of sarcopenia.NASH related cirrhotics have high prevalance of sarcopenia even in CHILD A patients. The patients with sarcopenia were having a low overall quality of life as per CLDQ,especially in specific aspects related to systemic symptoms and activity.

Validation of Baveno VI Criteria for Screening of Esophageal Varices in a Cohort of South Asian Patients with Compensated Chronic Liver Disease.

OBJECTIVES: A patient with liver stiffness by Vibration controlled Transient elastography(TE) <20 kPa and a platelet count >150,000/mm3 does not require screening endoscopy according to Baveno VI consensus. The Baveno consensus statement on esophageal varices screening has not been validated in the South Asian population. TE may not be widely available in resource limited areas. We tried to see whether easily available parameters could be used to predict high risk varices(HRV). METHOD: A cross-sectional study evaluating patients with liver stiffness >10 kPa who had endoscopy within 6 months of TE evaluation. RESULTS: 375 patients who underwent TE and upper GI endoscopy over one year were included. Commonest etiology was HBV(42 %) followed by Hepatitis C(39%), NAFLD(9.1%) and alcohol(9%). 262 of the 266 patients satisfying Baveno VI consensus criteria for avoiding screening endoscopy did not have HRV. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value(PPV) and negative predictive value(NPV) was 96 %, 90 %, 74% and 99 % respectively and (AUC = 0.91). By using MELD 6 or MELD < 8 and platelet >150000/mm3 criteria, 67% endoscopies could have been circumvented. Using Baveno VI criteria, 70% endoscopies could have been circumvented. CONCLUSION: This study validates the Baveno VI consensus statement on esophageal variceal screening in cirrhosis, in a South Asian population. It also describes a new strategy using MELD 6 or MELD < 8 and platelet > 150000/mm3 in areas with limited resources where TE is not widely available.