Sarcopenia, defined as the loss of muscle strength, mass, and functionality, confers a poor prognosis in the setting of cirrhosis. Given its clinical significance, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms leading to cirrhosis, sarcopenia, and their co-occurrence may improve these patients’ outcomes. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) shares many of the same etiologies as sarcopenia, including insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and ectopic adipocyte deposition, which are hallmarks of metabolic syndrome (MS). NASH thus serves as a prime candidate for further exploration into the underlying pathophysiology and relationship between these three conditions. In this review, we discuss the natural history of NASH and sarcopenia, explore the interplay between these conditions in the scope of MS, and seek to better define how an assessment of muscle mass, strength, and functionality in this population is key to improved diagnosis and management of patients with sarcopenia and NASH.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.