Anthropometrics, body composition, sarcopenia, and frailty in intestinal transplantation: A literature review and commentary

TL;DR

This review discusses how body composition, frailty, and muscle loss affect outcomes in patients undergoing intestinal transplants.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review and commentary on assessing frailty and sarcopenia in intestinal transplant candidates.

Findings

Frailty and sarcopenia are linked to worse outcomes in intestinal transplant patients.

Anthropometrics and body composition are important in evaluating intestinal transplant candidates.

Recommendations are given for assessing frailty pre- and post-transplant.

Abstract

Frailty and sarcopenia are increasingly incorporated in the evaluation of solid organ transplant candidates. There can be adverse outcomes both pre- and post-transplant amongst patients identified as frail. Nutritional deficiencies and chronic illness in intestinal transplantation are known to impact growth and muscle development. As a result, anthropometrics and body composition have been studied amongst patients with intestinal failure. More recently, sarcopenia and frailty are phenotypes that have been identified as independent factors that can impact morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing solid organ transplantation. It is worthwhile to review available knowledge regarding frailty and sarcopenia in both adult and pediatric patients undergoing intestinal transplantation evaluation. This review article summarizes existing data regarding anthropometrics, sarcopenia, and frailty in adult and pediatric patients under consideration for intestinal transplantation. An opinion statement is provided discussing potential means of assessing frailty in this population, along with recommendations in the pre- and post-transplant phases of care.