Clinical characteristics of sarcopenia in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis

Abstract Background and Aim Sarcopenia frequently develops in patient with liver cirrhosis (LC). Ethanol reduces muscle protein synthesis and accelerates proteolysis. However, the relationship between heavy alcohol consumption and sarcopenia remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and prevalence of sarcopenia among patients with alcoholic LC (ALC) in real‐world clinical settings. Methods This cross‐sectional study included 181 patients with LC. Heavy alcohol consumption was defined as >60 g/day. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Japan Society of Hepatology criteria. Results Among the 181 patients, 64 (35.4%) were diagnosed with ALC. Patients with ALC were younger (median, 61.5 vs 72.0 years; P