Sarcopenia is a common complication of cirrhosis and is defined as a progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function. Sarcopenia is associated with poor prognosis and increased mortality. How sarcopenia and muscle wasting relate to such poor outcomes requires looking beyond the overt muscle loss and at this entity as a systemic disease that affects muscles of vital organs including cardiac and respiratory muscles. This review explores the pathophysiological pathways and mechanisms that culminate in poor outcomes associated with sarcopenia. This provides a launching pad to identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention and optimization to improve patient outcomes.
© 2019 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.