Food as Therapy for Frailty

Tariq Salim, Susan A. Stark, Andres Duarte-Rojo*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose of Review: Frailty in end-stage liver disease is a risk factor for mortality and other serious complications for transplant-waitlist patients. Multiple interventions have been studied to try to mitigate these effects by targeting contributors to frailty, most notably sarcopenia and hepatic encephalopathy. This review provides an evidence-based summary of interventions that have been recommended to prevent or reverse frailty and its contributors. Recent Findings: Current nutritional recommendations for frailty in end-stage liver disease focus on mitigating the effects of ammonia toxicity, increased energy expenditure due to shifts in glucose metabolism, and micronutrient deficiency and supplementation. Summary: Data regarding targeted nutritional interventions for frailty in cirrhosis are limited. Current evidence supports increasing caloric intake, increasing protein intake, avoiding a fasting state, branched-chain amino acid supplementation, screening for and treating vitamin D deficiency, and to a lesser extent l-carnitine supplementation. Future randomized controlled trials are necessary to validate these interventions as modifiers of frailty.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)23-29
Number of pages7
JournalCurrent Hepatitis Reports
Volume19
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2020

Keywords

  • Cirrhosis
  • Nutrition
  • Sarcopenia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Hepatology

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