Handgrip strength is associated with 12 months survival in male patients suffering with advanced chronic liver disease

Advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) patients are usually malnourished, and both conditions in combination increase the likelihood of unfavourable clinical outcomes. Handgrip strength (HGS) has been suggested as a relevant parameter for nutritional assessment and predictor of adverse clinical outcomes in ACLD. However, the HGS cutoff values for ACLD patients have not yet been reliably established. The aims of this study were to preliminarily identify HGS reference values in a sample population of ACLD male patients, and to assess their association with survival over a 12-month follow-up period. This was a prospective observational study with preliminary analysis of outpatients and inpatients. One hundred eighty-five male patients with a medical diagnosis of ACLD met the inclusion criteria and were invited to participate in the study. The physiological variation in muscle strength related to the age of the individuals included in the study was considered to obtain cutoff values. After categorising HGS by age group (adults: 18 to 60 years; elderly: ≥ 60 years), the reference values obtained were 32.5 kg for adults and 16.5 kg for the elderly. During the 12-month follow-up, 20.5% of the patients died, and 76.3% of those had been identified with reduced HGS. Patients with adequate HGS showed significantly higher 12-month survival compared to those with reduced HGS within the same period. Our findings show that HGS is an important predictive parameter for clinical and nutritional follow-up in ACLD male patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.