Sarcopenia and treatment failure in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The association between sarcopenia and treatment outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is currently a subject of controversy.

A systematic search was performed of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies published until April 2023. The quality assessment of each included study was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Seventeen studies were included with 2,895 IBD patients. Sarcopenia exhibited an increased risk of treatment failure (OR=2.00, 95% CI: 1.43-2.79) and notably increased the need for surgery (OR=1.54,95%CI:1.06-2.23) as opposed to a pharmacologic treatment plan change (OR=1.19, 95% CI:0.71-2.01) among IBD patients. However, no significant association was found between sarcopenia and treatment failure in corticosteroid (OR=1.21, 95% CI: 0.55-2.64) or biologic agent (OR=1.65, 95% CI: 0.93-2.92) cohorts. Sarcopenia was also linked to elevated treatment failure risks in patients with Crohn's disease (OR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.15-2.90) and those diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (OR=2.55, 95% CI: 1.05-6.21), spanning both Asian (OR=1.88, 95% CI: 1.29-2.74) and non-Asian regions (OR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.48-3.18).

Sarcopenia was considered a novel marker for use in clinical practice to predict treatment failure, specifically, the need for surgery in IBD patients. This distinct cohort necessitates clinical attention and tailored care strategies.