Management of metabolic syndrome after liver transplant

MASH Continues as a Significant Burden on Metabolic Health of Liver Recipients

BACKGROUND

Metabolic complications are a recognized health concern in liver transplant recipients that result in inferior patient-reported outcomes. Patients with MASH are known to be disproportionately affected by metabolic diseases compared to other indications for transplantation.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of metabolic abnormalities in liver recipients with specific focus on differences between patients transplanted for MASH and non-MASH-causes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

An observational, monocentric, and retrospective analysis was performed. Patients who received a cadaveric-donor-liver transplant between 2010 and 2019 were eligible.

RESULTS

282 patients were enrolled with a median age of 52 years (66.7% males). Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) led to liver transplant in 8.2% of cases. De-novo metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 36% of the study population. Patients that underwent transplant owing to MASH showed significantly higher incidence of metabolic complications in both pre- and post-transplant period. Considerable differences were noted in the pattern of weight gain between patients transplanted for MASH and non-MASH patients. The MASH etiology (OR: 5.5; 95% CI: 1.624-22.868; P = .010), higher BMI at 1-year post-transplant (OR: 1.321; 95% CI: 1.214-1.449; P = <.001), and older age at transplant (OR: 1.038; 95% CI: 1.006-1.074; P = .022) were independently associated with new-onset metabolic syndrome in liver recipients.

CONCLUSION

Metabolic complications were prevalent in liver recipients. Liver recipients with underlying MASH significantly surpassed patients transplanted for other indications in terms of metabolic complications incidence and demonstrated an unfavorable trajectory of weight gain post-transplant.

Metabolic Disorders in Liver Transplant Recipients: The State of the Art

Liver transplantation represents a chief therapeutic approach for acute liver failure, end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite witnessing advancements in short- and medium-term survival over recent decades, attributed to refinements in surgical techniques and immunosuppressive protocols, long-term mortality remains impervious to modification. Notably, cardiovascular disease emerges as a predominant cause of mortality among liver transplant recipients. This trend is accentuated by the increasing prominence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-related cirrhosis as an indication for liver transplantation. Moreover, the administration of immunosuppressive agents is intricately linked to the degradation of the metabolic profile in liver transplant recipients, thereby contributing to the initiation or exacerbation of cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia. In addition, the post-liver transplantation period is marked by a decline in lifestyle quality and a failure to acknowledge the psychological distress experienced by patients throughout the transplant process. These factors can precipitate a deterioration in the patient's metabolic profile, exacerbated by suboptimal therapeutic compliance. This narrative review aims to comprehensively address the principal metabolic disorders intricately associated with liver transplantation.