Prevalence and impact on the outcome of myosteatosis in patients with cirrhosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Myosteatosis in cirrhotic patients has been evaluated in limited studies with conflicting results and no systematic review or meta-analysis have been performed in this setting.

We searched for all articles published until June 2023 to evaluate the prevalence of myosteatosis in cirrhosis and chronic liver disease.

Seventeen studies focused on cirrhosis and five studies in patients with chronic liver disease were included: the overall pooled prevalence of myosteatosis was 46% [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 36–57%] and 33% (95% CI 15–59%), respectively (p = 0.35). Among the studies with cirrhosis, the prevalence of myosteatosis was higher in those using the body mass index-based definition of myosteatosis (56%), than gender-based (36%) or other criteria (21%) (p < 0.01); was higher in women than in men (61% vs 45%), in Child–Pugh class C than A or B (57% vs 49% vs 50%), in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)- than viral-associated cirrhosis (57% vs 43%), but these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Cirrhotic patients with myosteatosis, compared to those without myosteatosis, had more frequently a previous history of hepatic encephalopathy (32% vs 15%, p = 0.04), less frequently a previous history of variceal bleeding (46% vs 65%, p < 0.01), were more likely to suffer from diabetes mellitus (27% vs 18%, p < 0.01), while they had higher mortality rates (40% vs 14%, p = 0.02).

Myosteatosis is highly prevalent in patients with cirrhosis, particularly in those with NAFLD-associated cirrhosis. Myosteatosis is associated with hepatic encephalopathy, while it seems to have a negative impact on the outcome.