Assessment of nutritional status and quality of life of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis
Journal Title: Postępy Nauk Medycznych - Year 2010, Vol 23, Issue 1
Abstract
Introduction: Excessive ethanol consumption results in alcoholic liver disease, and eventually in liver cirrhosis. The aim of the study was to assess nutritional status and quality of life of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis with relation to liver dysfunction and patients gender.Material and methods: The study comprised 125 subjects, 100 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 25 healthy volunteers. Based on the Child-Pough score cirrhotics were divided into three groups: Child A (group I), Child B (group II) and Child C (group III). Nutritional status was assessed by serum albumin and anthropometry (BMI, triceps skinfold tickness, arm muscle circumference). The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used for quality of life evaluation.Results: Low serum albumin (<40 g/dl) was demonstrated in 47% of cirrhotic patients. The percentages of subjects with low serum albumin were substantially higher in group III compared to group II (p=0.003); and in groups I and III compared to control group (p=0.04 and p=0.00007, respectively). The triceps skinfold ticknesses of cirrhotic females (p<0.0001) and males (p<0.01) were significantly lower than of healthy subjects. There were trends towards lower values of other anthropometric parameters in cirrhotics compared to controls (p>0.05). Patients with liver cirrhosis, regardless of its stage, scored significantly lower in respective domains of quality of life than controls: physical health p<0.00001, psychological domain p<0.0001, social relations p<0.01, and environment p<0.001.Conclusions: Malnutrition is common in patients at every stage of liver cirrhosis and it intensifies with disease progression. Alcoholic liver cirrhosis markedly impairs the quality of life. Essential components of cirrhosis therapy include management not only of clinical symptoms but also psychological dysfunction.
Authors and Affiliations
Ewa Krzyżanowska, Iwona Jastrzębska, Agnieszka Zwolak, Beata Kasztelan-Szczerbińska, Cezary Łozowski, Jadwiga Daniluk
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP53733
- DOI -
- Views 200
- Downloads 0
Transforming growth factor β1 and its receptors gene expression in patients with systemic sclerosis and Raynaud’s phenomenon
<b>Introduction.</b> Previous studies concerning the tissue expression of TGFβ1 demonstrated that this factor may play the role in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc).&am...
Epidemiology and microbiologic diagnostics of invasive fungal disease
Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is the organ deep infection of fungal etiology, developing usually in patients with immunosuppression. The most frequent microbiological types of IFD are candidiasis, aspergillosis and non-A...
Oś zewnątrzwydzielnicza trzustka-mózg – badania na modelu świni domowej
Badania biomedyczne dowiodły, że zarówno przyzwyczajenia dietetyczne, styl życia (włączając w to skład i jakość diety), jak i aktywność fizyczna mają ogromny wpływ na ogólny stan zdrowia ludności na świecie. Nowe zalecen...
Analiza wczesnego chimeryzmu przy użyciu PCR w czasie rzeczywistym jako czynnik rokowniczy choroby przeszczep przeciwko gospodarzowi po allogenicznym przeszczepieniu hematopoetycznych komórek krwiotwórczych
Ocena chimeryzmu dawcy odgrywa znaczącą rolę w rokowaniu pacjentów po allogenicznym przeszczepieniu hematopoetycznych komórek krwiotwórczych (alloHSCT).<br><b>Materiał i metody.</b&...
SGLT2 inhibitors – new oral hypoglycemic drugs
The prevalence of diabetes increases worldwide and glycemia in many patients Dos not meet the targets precised by American or Polish Diabetes Association. These two fact stimulate development of new treatment possibiliti...