Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31546969›Full record

Trial reportNutrients2019

The Effect of 12 Weeks of β-Hydroxy-β-Methyl-Butyrate Supplementation after Liver Transplantation: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study.

Barbara Lattanzi, Michela Giusto, Carlina Albanese, Gianluca Mennini, Daria D'Ambrosio, Alessio Farcomeni, Stefano Ginanni Corradini, Massimo Rossi, Manuela Merli

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Nutrients, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Nutrition and exercise for sarcopenia treatment.Osteoporosis and sarcopenia · 2025
    Review
  10. Article
  11. Key challenges of post-liver transplant weight management.World journal of transplantation · 2024
    Review
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Barbara LattanziDepartment of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy. Lattanzi.b@gmail.com.
Michela GiustoDepartment of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Carlina AlbaneseDepartment of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy. carlina.albanese@uniroma1.it.
Gianluca MenniniDepartment of General Surgery "Paride Stefanini", Liver Transplantation Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy. gianluca.mennini@uniroma1.it.
Daria D'AmbrosioDepartment of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy. daria.damb@gmail.com.
Alessio FarcomeniDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy. afarcome@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-7104-5826
Stefano Ginanni CorradiniDepartment of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy. stefano.corradini@uniroma1.it.
Massimo RossiDepartment of General Surgery "Paride Stefanini", Liver Transplantation Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy. massimo.rossi@uniroma1.it.
Manuela MerliDepartment of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy. Manuela.merli@uniroma1.it.ORCID 0000-0003-3173-9767
Sapienza University of Rome · IT

Funding

Bando Ricerca Sapienza 2017/201c
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sarcopenia is a frequent complication in liver transplant (LT) recipients. β-hydroxy-β-methyl-butyrate (HMB) has the potential to increase muscle-performance and tropism. Our study aims at evaluating the effect on muscle mass and functioning, and the safety of 12 weeks of HMB supplementation in patients after LT. This is a pilot, randomized study. Male patients undergoing LT were randomly assigned to the HMB or control group. A diet interview, anthropometry and body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) were performed at enrollment (T0), after 12 weeks (T1) and after 12 months (T12). Twenty-two liver transplant male patients were enrolled in the study: 12 in the HMB group and 10 as the control group. At enrollment, demographic, clinical and nutritional data were similar. According to the appendicular skeletal muscle index, sarcopenia was present in 50% of patients. The appendix skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) showed a significant increase at T1 and T12 in HMB patients, but not in controls. The mid-arm muscle-circumference and hand grip strength also increased at T1 and T12 versus T0 only in the HMB group. No side effects were reported in either group. The study showed a positive effect of HMB in the recovery of muscle mass and strength after LT. HMB supplement in patients after LT was safe and well tolerated.

Indexed as

Liver TransplantationAgedDietary SupplementsHumansMiddle AgedMuscle, SkeletalPilot ProjectsPostoperative CareSarcopeniaValeratesbeta-hydroxyisovaleric acidValeratesappendix skeletal muscle indexdual energy X-ray absorptiometryliver transplantationsarcopeniaβ-hydroxy-β-methyl-butyrate

Identifiers

PMID31546969
PMCPMC6769827
OpenAlexW2973507207

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.