ABSTRACT
Introduction: The aims of this study were to establish weight change, incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular risk factors (CvRF) in liver transplant recipients (LTRs). Methods: Eighty-three patients whose mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 55.6 (8.4) years (median follow-up 73 months) and who underwent their first liver transplantation (LT) at Singapore General Hospital between February 2006 and March 2017 were included in the study. Anthropometric, clinical and demographic data were collected retrospectively from patients’ medical records. Diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidaemia and hypertension were regarded as CvRF. Results: Compared to baseline, mean (SD) body weight decreased significantly at 1 month post-LT (60.8kg [11.9] versus 64.3kg [13.7], P<0.001). There was a gradual recovery of body weight thereafter, increasing significantly at year 2 (64.3kg [12.3] vs 61.5kg [13.7], P<0.001) until year 5 (66.9kg [12.4] vs 62.2kg [13.9], P<0.001), respectively. The prevalence of CvRF was significantly higher post-LT. NAFLD occurred in 25.3% of LTRs and it was significantly associated with post-LT DM and hyperlipidaemia. Conclusion: CvRF increased significantly post-LT, and NAFLD occurred in 25.3% of LTRs. Body weight dropped drastically within the first month post-LT, which then returned to baseline level just before the end of first year. This novel finding suggests that nutritional intervention needs to be tailored and individualised, based on events and time from transplant. Although long-term obesity is a significant problem, aggressive oral or enteral nutritional supplements take precedence in the early and immediate post-LT period, while interventions targeted at metabolic syndrome become necessary after the first year.
Malnutrition is well described in liver cirrhosis. The hyperdynamic circulation and altered metabolism in cirrhosis result in a hypercatabolic state which accelerates tissue breakdown. Ascites and gastrointestinal dysmotility in advanced cirrhosis, compounded by the need for dietary restrictions, often result in early satiety and anorexia. Inevitably, liver transplant wait-list patients eat poorly, leading to a diet grossly deficient in calories, protein and nutrients, culminating in muscle wasting and weight loss.
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