Rate and clinical predictors of skeletal muscle loss in patients with cirrhosis

The authors aimed to characterize the rate of skeletal muscle loss in patients with cirrhosis and its association with clinical outcomes, particularly waitlist mortality for liver transplantation. They found a median annual skeletal muscle loss of 1.6%, with rapid muscle loss (RML) significantly predicting increased waitlist mortality, particularly in patients with ascites and higher MELD-Na scores. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring muscle mass changes in this population to inform future therapeutic strategies targeting sarcopenia.