[Metabolic bone disease in liver cirrhosis: the influence of nutritional status]

Relationship between metabolic bone disease (MBD) and liver cirrhosis (LC) might be modeled by the patient's nutritional status.

To assess if malnourished cirrhotic patients might exhibit higher MBD rates.

Bone mineral density (BMD) in 50 cirrhotic patients attended at the Gastroenterology Service, "Hermanos Ameijeiras" Hospital, La Habana, Cuba, was measured at the left femur neck and lumbar column with a double-beam X-ray densitometer. Seventy percent of patients were male; 54% were older than 50 year-old and 72% were white. Cause of LC was viral in 56% of patients, 62% were classified as Child A and 42% were considered as malnourished. MBD was established when "t" score <-1.0 s. LC-related MBD was compared with that previously observed in apparently healthy subjects.

Mean BMD in examined anatomical sites was 0.957 ± 0.149 g/cm2 in left femur neck and 0.953 ± 0.130 g/cm2 in lumbar spine, respectively. According to these measurements, MBD was diagnosed in 50% and 52% for both sites, respectively. BMD rates in cirrhotic patients were similar to those observed in healthy subjects after DEXA examination of lumbar spine. MBD was more frequent between Child C and malnourished cirrhotic patients.

LC did not result in an increased MBD rate, however this problem presents more frequently in terminally ill and malnourished patients.