Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39928119›Full record

SynthesisSurgery today2025

Effect of sarcopenia on the survival of patients undergoing liver transplantation: a meta-analysis.

Miho Akabane, Yuki Imaoka, Toshihiro Nakayama, Carlos O Esquivel, Kazunari Sasaki

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Surgery today, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Abdominal Organ Transplantation: Noteworthy Literature in 2025.Seminars in cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia · 2026
    Review
  5. 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

5 authors.

Miho AkabaneDivision of Abdominal Transplant, Department of Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Yuki ImaokaDivision of Abdominal Transplant, Department of Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Toshihiro NakayamaDivision of Abdominal Transplant, Department of Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Carlos O EsquivelDivision of Abdominal Transplant, Department of Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Kazunari SasakiDivision of Abdominal Transplant, Department of Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. sasakik@stanford.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe relationship between sarcopenia and post-liver transplant (LT) mortality is still not well understood. This study aims to provide an updated and comprehensive meta-analysis evaluating the impact of sarcopenia on the survival of LT patients.

methodsWe conducted searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE up until May 2, 2024, without language restrictions. The primary outcome measured was the overall post-LT mortality risk associated with sarcopenia. The DerSimonian-Laird random effects model was used to calculate pooled adjusted hazard ratios (HRs).

resultsEighteen cohort studies comprising a total 6297 LT patients were included. The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 27% (95% CI: 26%-28%), and this rate was lower when sarcopenia was defined using the third lumbar-skeletal muscle index in men, and among patients with lower Child-Pugh class. Sarcopenia remained significantly associated with higher mortality, with a pooled adjusted HR of 1.55 (95% CI 1.28-1.89). This association held across subgroups based on sex, study location, sarcopenia definition, study quality, and living donor LT recipients. A sensitivity analysis excluding groups with a high proportion of hepatocellular carcinoma patients showed similar findings (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.13-2.35). No significant heterogeneity was identified in any of the analyses.

conclusionsThis meta-analysis shows that sarcopenia is significantly associated with increased mortality after LT. Thus, the risk of sarcopenia should be factored into the initial evaluation of LT candidates.

Indexed as

Liver TransplantationSarcopeniaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRiskSurvival RateLiver transplantation (LT)PrognosisSarcopeniaSkeletal muscle index

Identifiers

PMID39928119

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.