Development of Simplified Risk Assessment Scoring System for Sarcopenia in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Hepatology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Secondary sarcopenia is common in chronic liver disease (CLD).
• Existing assessment tools for muscle abnormalities are limited in aging populations.
• The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) is a potential indicator for nutritional status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a risk scoring system (SDGS-L) based on GNRI.
• To identify muscle abnormalities in patients with CLD.
• To provide a simple, practical tool for early detection of sarcopenia.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1181 Japanese CLD patients.
• Evaluation of handgrip strength decline (HGSD) and muscle volume loss (MVL).
• Development of the SDGS-L scoring system using logistic analysis, incorporating GNRI, age, and gender.

Main Results:

• The SDGS-L system identified increasing prevalence of sarcopenia, HGSD, and MVL with higher risk scores (p < 0.001).
• Abnormal GNRI, older age, and female gender were significant predictors.
• GNRI showed significant correlations with handgrip strength and skeletal muscle index.

Conclusions:

• The SDGS-L scoring system is a simple, cost-effective tool for predicting sarcopenia and muscle abnormalities in CLD patients.
• Early identification enables timely intervention.
• This tool does not require specialized equipment, making it accessible.