Next Article in Journal
Impact of Dietary Patterns on Skeletal Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Bone Mineral Density, Fracture, Bone Turnover Markers, and Nutritional Status
Previous Article in Journal
The Relationship Between Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Parameters and Laboratory Biomarkers in an Elderly Polish Cohort: A Cross-Sectional Study
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Nutrients
Volume 17
Issue 24
10.3390/nu17243844
nutrients-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Interactions Between Sarcopenia, Physical Frailty and Resting Energy Expenditure in Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension †

by
Rachael Jacob
1,2,3,
Joanne Craik
4,
Aviv Pudipeddi
2,3,
Laura Park
5,
Grace Aw
6,
Natalie L. Y. Ngu
7,
Prahalath Sundaram
1,
Helen Vidot
4,
Talal Valliani
1,
Madeleine Gill
1,8,
Dominic Staudenmann
9,
David Bowen
1,3,10,
Simone I. Strasser
1,3,
Geoffrey W. McCaughan
1,3,11 and
Ken Liu
1,3,11,*
1
AW Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney 2050, Australia
2
Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney 2139, Australia
3
Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
4
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney 2050, Australia
5
Alfred Health, Melbourne 3004, Australia
6
Department of Medical Imaging, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane 4006, Australia
7
Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Australia
8
Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide 5042, Australia
9
Intesto-Gastroenterologische Praxis & Crohn-Colitis Zentrum, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
10
Liver Immunology Program, Centenary Institute, Sydney 2050, Australia
11
Liver Injury and Cancer Program, Centenary Institute, Sydney 2050, Australia
 
add Show full affiliation list
 
remove Hide full affiliation list
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
This article is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled ‘Interactions between sarcopenia, frailty and resting energy expenditure in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension’, which was presented at Australian Gastroenterology Week, Adelaide, Australia, 14–16 September 2024.
Nutrients 2025, 17(24), 3844; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243844
Submission received: 13 November 2025 / Revised: 6 December 2025 / Accepted: 7 December 2025 / Published: 9 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Clinical Nutrition)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Sarcopenia and frailty are prevalent and independently prognostic in cirrhosis. Few studies have evaluated both together to ascertain their interaction and phenotypic differences. None have studied their relationship with resting energy expenditure (REE). We simultaneously examined sarcopenia, frailty and REE in a cohort of patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension—a novel approach. Methods: We retrospectively studied consecutive patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, prospectively recruited between 2015 and 2018 to undergo sarcopenia (transversal psoas muscle thickness [TPMT]/height), frailty (Fried Frailty Index [FFI]), and REE assessments via indirect calorimetry. The primary outcome was transplant-free survival (TFS). Results: Ninety-seven patients were recruited with sarcopenia and frailty present in 26% and 40%, respectively. Patients with sarcopenia or frailty alone were phenotypically similar except those with sarcopenia had lower median body mass index (BMI) (23 vs. 28 kg/m2, p = 0.032) and were more likely to be hypermetabolic (60% vs. 0%, p = 0.017). Median TFS was lower in patients with sarcopenia (3.6 months) or frailty (4.5 months), compared to those with neither (10.3 months), while patients with both sarcopenia and frailty exhibited the worst TFS (1.8 months, log-rank p = 0.001). Independent predictors of death or liver transplant were sarcopenia, hepatic encephalopathy, and a higher model for end-stage liver disease score. Conclusions: In patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, sarcopenia and physical frailty are related but have differences in BMI and REE. The deleterious impact of sarcopenia and frailty on TFS are additive. Sarcopenia remains an independent predictor of TFS after adjusting for frailty.
Keywords: sarcopenia; frailty; indirect calorimetry; cirrhosis; portal hypertension; liver transplantation sarcopenia; frailty; indirect calorimetry; cirrhosis; portal hypertension; liver transplantation

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Jacob, R.; Craik, J.; Pudipeddi, A.; Park, L.; Aw, G.; Ngu, N.L.Y.; Sundaram, P.; Vidot, H.; Valliani, T.; Gill, M.; et al. Interactions Between Sarcopenia, Physical Frailty and Resting Energy Expenditure in Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension. Nutrients 2025, 17, 3844. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243844

AMA Style

Jacob R, Craik J, Pudipeddi A, Park L, Aw G, Ngu NLY, Sundaram P, Vidot H, Valliani T, Gill M, et al. Interactions Between Sarcopenia, Physical Frailty and Resting Energy Expenditure in Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension. Nutrients. 2025; 17(24):3844. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243844

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jacob, Rachael, Joanne Craik, Aviv Pudipeddi, Laura Park, Grace Aw, Natalie L. Y. Ngu, Prahalath Sundaram, Helen Vidot, Talal Valliani, Madeleine Gill, and et al. 2025. "Interactions Between Sarcopenia, Physical Frailty and Resting Energy Expenditure in Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension" Nutrients 17, no. 24: 3844. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243844

APA Style

Jacob, R., Craik, J., Pudipeddi, A., Park, L., Aw, G., Ngu, N. L. Y., Sundaram, P., Vidot, H., Valliani, T., Gill, M., Staudenmann, D., Bowen, D., Strasser, S. I., McCaughan, G. W., & Liu, K. (2025). Interactions Between Sarcopenia, Physical Frailty and Resting Energy Expenditure in Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension. Nutrients, 17(24), 3844. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243844

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop