A Systematic Review of Medical Nutrition Therapy Guidelines for Liver Cirrhosis: Do We Agree?

The Evolution in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients' Profile and the Associated Sustainable Challenges: A Multidisciplinary Perspective

The prevalence and incidence of NAFLD is rising due to the obesity pandemic, caused by the widespread availability of ultra-processed foods and the decrease of physical activity. Factors such as socioeconomic status (SES), ethnicity and geographical location are associated with NAFLD, with lower SES correlating with higher incidence, particularly in regions like America or Europe. Beside the quality of food, the quantity also plays a crucial role. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a Mediterranean diet with a balanced energy intake. Since no hard medical treatment is available for NAFLD, lifestyle adjustments are key. Patient empowerment by providing relevant information and co-ownership of the therapy will increase the implementation rate and enhance the quality of medical follow-up and medication adherence, as studies report a good adherence to medication among patients who are well-aware of the severity of their disease. Regarding sustainability, patients with NAFLD have a high load of ambulatory follow-up, which, since the COVID-19 pandemic, can be partially provided by teleconsulting. Both patients' lifestyle modifications and healthcare practitioners' therapeutical strategy can decrease the carbon footprint.

Nutritional education strategies for patients with cirrhosis: A narrative review

BACKGROUND

Patients with cirrhosis suffer from many complications, including malnutrition, which must be managed promptly and effectively by the healthcare team. Educating patients about their medical condition, the risk of malnutrition and other complications of cirrhosis, could contribute to optimal nutritional status, quality of life and general health.

OBJECTIVE

This review provides an overview of the literature on a variety of nutritional education strategies used with patients suffering from cirrhosis. This review also identifies barriers and facilitators which impact the adherence in using these strategies.

PATIENT INVOLVEMENT

A patient-partner contributed to this review by providing insights on different issues and concerns that patients with cirrhosis might ask themselves regarding nutritional education strategies. The patient-partner was also involved in the overall revision of the review.

METHODS

Articles published between the years 2000-2023 focusing on nutritional education strategies in patients living with cirrhosis were identified using Google Scholar and PubMed and were screened for inclusion in the study. All selected studies were intervention studies. A quality assessment of the included studies was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).

RESULTS

Only a few nutritional education strategies in patients with cirrhosis were documented in the literature. The strategies ranged from using traditional printed materials to advanced technologies. These strategies may prove beneficial in complementing routine interventions provided by health professionals, such as registered dietitians, in their clinical practice.

DISCUSSION

This narrative review clearly highlights the need for further research to elaborate and evaluate nutritional education strategies for people living with cirrhosis.

PRACTICAL VALUE

Elaborating and evaluating educational strategies in nutrition for patients living with cirrhosis will be an adjuvant to health professionals and dietitians in their clinical practice by providing them, and the patients, with targeted education resources.

In silico investigation of molecular networks linking gastrointestinal diseases, malnutrition, and sarcopenia

Malnutrition (MN) is a common primary or secondary complication in gastrointestinal diseases. The patient’s nutritional status also influences muscle mass and function, which can be impaired up to the degree of sarcopenia. The molecular interactions in diseases leading to sarcopenia are complex and multifaceted, affecting muscle physiology, the intestine (nutrition), and the liver at different levels. Although extensive knowledge of individual molecular factors is available, their regulatory interplay is not yet fully understood. A comprehensive overall picture of pathological mechanisms and resulting phenotypes is lacking. In silico approaches that convert existing knowledge into computationally readable formats can help unravel mechanisms, underlying such complex molecular processes. From public literature, we manually compiled experimental evidence for molecular interactions involved in the development of sarcopenia into a knowledge base, referred to as the Sarcopenia Map. We integrated two diseases, namely liver cirrhosis (LC), and intestinal dysfunction, by considering their effects on nutrition and blood secretome. We demonstrate the performance of our model by successfully simulating the impact of changing dietary frequency, glycogen storage capacity, and disease severity on the carbohydrate and muscle systems. We present the Sarcopenia Map as a publicly available, open-source, and interactive online resource, that links gastrointestinal diseases, MN, and sarcopenia. The map provides tools that allow users to explore the information on the map and perform in silico simulations.

NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF LIVER CIRRHOSIS AND ITS COMPLICATIONS IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS

BACKGROUND

Cirrhosis is a chronic and progressive liver disease that occurs from prolonged hepatocellular injury. Malnutrition causes complications in cirrhosis patients that worsen the condition to liver failure. Both are closely linked and increase the chances of morbidity and mortality. Regular nutritional screening and monitoring is prime concern for such patients including comprehensive dietary history, laboratory tests, and evaluation of muscle loss and strength capabilities to determine the degree of frailty. For efficient assessment of liver cirrhosis patients Subjective Global Assessment has been used worldwide. The nutritional objectives for such individuals should be to regain liver functions, to prevent complications associated, and to overcome nutritional deficiencies causing malnutrition.

METHODS

We conducted a literature review using PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct for this purpose, a total of 130 articles were reviewed out of which 80 (from the past 5 years) including originally published research, review articles and abstracts were also included. Exclusion criteria of the selected studies was year of publication, irrelevancy and animal studies based on the purpose of current study. The aim of this study was to check nutritional management in patients having complications of liver cirrhosis.

RESULTS

According to the guidelines, for the conservation of normal nutritional status of the malnourished patients', energy should be provided 35 kcal/kg/day while to prevent hypoalbuminemia and maintain the protein stores in the body, 1.5 g/kg/day protein has been recommended. Carbohydrates and fats for cirrhosis patients are recommended 50% to 60% and 10% to 20% of the total dietary intake respectively.

CONCLUSION

Initial identification and prevention of malnutrition have the probability to lead to better health outcomes, prevention of complications of the disease, and improving quality of life.

Dietary Interventions in Liver Diseases: Focus on MAFLD and Cirrhosis

Purpose of Review

Dietary interventions (DI) aimed at improving overweight and metabolic abnormalities in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and at reducing malnutrition and sarcopenia in cirrhosis should become part of routine care in hepatology. This review focuses on recent advances in this field.

Recent Findings

In patients with MAFLD, a gradual reduction, respectively, of 7–10% of body weight if overweight or of 3–5% if lean, obtained by moderately reducing caloric intake, is effective to improve liver disease. Intermittent energy restriction might be an alternative to continuous energy restriction with higher adherence. Qualitative dietary adjustments should include increased intake of unprocessed foods including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fiber, and unsaturated fatty acids (FAs), for example, through a Mediterranean diet. Refined carbohydrates (CHOs), saturated FA (SFAs), red meat, and processed meat should be limited. DI studies in HIV-infected subjects with MAFLD are very limited, and this is a field for future research. In patients with cirrhosis, DI should aim at correcting malnutrition and improving skeletal muscle mass. Daily diet contents should aim at achieving 30–35 kcal/kg of body weight, including 1.2–1.5 g/kg proteins, and oral or enteral supplementation might be used in patients unable to achieve these targets. In some studies, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) proved to be effective in improving muscle mass and were associated with a lower risk of hepatic encephalopathy. Obesity requires adjustment of the above-mentioned targets, and its management is challenging. Studies looking at the efficacy of DI recommended by the existing guidelines on clinical endpoints are a field for future research.

Summary

Dietary interventions are able to improve MAFLD and show potential to reduce complications in liver disease. Despite its key importance, there are many barriers limiting the implementation of DI in patients with chronic liver disease. Patients’ empowerment is crucial and should be the focus of specific educational programs. In addition, liver clinics would benefit from multidisciplinary teams involving experts in nutrition, physical exercise, primary care physicians, and psychologists when needed.

Fructose intake is not associated to the risk of hepatic fibrosis in patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has been linked to fructose intake (FI). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the dietary FI from different food sources (added/industrial processing and natural/intrinsic to food) is associated with NAFLD and risk of hepatic fibrosis (HF).

METHODS

Cross-sectional study with 128 patients with NAFLD underwent clinical, functional, laboratory, nutritional and dietary intake by 3-day-diet-record evaluation. The proportions (in grams/milliliters) of foods and beverages in the diet for each subject was computed from the database NUTTAB and classified by their processing level according to the NOVA classification to identify the source of fructose.

RESULTS

The mean age was 54.0 ± 11.9 years; 72.7% were women, and BMI 32.6 ± 5.4 kg/m². Total fructose (TF) intake was 21.6 g, natural fructose (NF) 14.8 g and added fructose (AF) 6.8 g. TF, NF, and AF intakes not differ in patients with steatosis, steatohepatitis and cirrhosis (p-values 0.140; 0.101; 0.739, respectively), and not justify HF according NAFLD score, in view of the low correlation power found (r² 0.009; 0.040; 0.051) respectively for TF, NF and AF. Patients presented elevated cardiometabolic risk due to the prevalence of 78.0% intermediate/high risk of HF; 96.8% over waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), 79.7% of metabolic syndrome (MetS), 65.6% low hand grip strength (HGS), and 70.3% had sarcopenic obesity.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients had low FI compared to the amounts presented in other occidental countries and studies. No association was found between FI and NAFLD or risk of HF.

Cirrhosis: An evidence-based approach

ABSTRACT

The role of nurses in managing patients with cirrhosis is increasing due to the growing prevalence of the disease. This article reviews the pathophysiology, diagnosis, complications, and management of patients with cirrhosis, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based practice.

Cirrhosis: An evidence-based treatment approach

The NP's role in managing cirrhosis is increasing due to the growing prevalence of the disease. The purpose of this article is to review the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of patients with cirrhosis with an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based practice. Cirrhosis complications are also discussed.

Molecular Mechanism Contributing to Malnutrition and Sarcopenia in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis is frequently accompanied by disease-related malnutrition (DRM) and sarcopenia, defined as loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. DRM and sarcopenia often coexist in cirrhotic patients and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The clinical manifestation of both comorbidities are triggered by multifactorial mechanisms including reduced nutrient and energy intake caused by dietary restrictions, anorexia, neuroendocrine deregulation, olfactory and gustatory deficits. Maldigestion and malabsorption due to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, pancreatic insufficiency or cholestasis may also contribute to DRM and sarcopenia. Decreased protein synthesis and increased protein degradation is the cornerstone mechanism to muscle loss, among others mediated by disease- and inflammation-mediated metabolic changes, hyperammonemia, increased myostatin and reduced human growth hormone. The concise pathophysiological mechanisms and interactions of DRM and sarcopenia in liver cirrhosis are not completely understood. Furthermore, most knowledge in this field are based on experimental models, but only few data in humans exist. This review summarizes known and proposed molecular mechanisms contributing to malnutrition and sarcopenia in liver cirrhosis and highlights remaining knowledge gaps. Since, in the prevention and treatment of DRM and sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients, more research is needed to identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis and development of targeted therapeutic strategies.