Malnutrition in Liver Cirrhosis: A Review

Malnutrition is a frequent and integral component of acute and chronic diseases and is most common in patients with cirrhosis and increase the severity of disease. Therefore, every hospitalised patient should have an assessment of their nutritional status. Patient with advanced liver disease commonly have malnutrition but its assessment is confounded by many of the usual indicators of nutritional status. The majority of cirrhotic patients unintentionally follow a low calorie diet, a fact that is attributed to various side-effects observed in cirrhosis. Protein Calorie Malnutrition (PCM) occurs in 50% to 90% of liver cirrhosis patients and progresses as liver function crumbled. This article is based on a selective literature review of protein and sodium recommendations. Higher intake of branched-chain amino acids and as well as vegetable proteins has shown benefits in liver cirrhotic patients. Sodium restrictions are necessary to prevent ascites development.