Obesity in Patients after Liver Transplantation

Mariana Arruda Silva, Alceu Afonso Jordão Júnior and Orlando de Castro e Silva Júnior

Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Sao Paulo University, Brazil
Department of Internal Medicine, Sao Paulo University, Brazil

^*Correspondance to: Mariana Arruda Silva 

 PDF  Full Text DOI: 10.25107/2474-1647.1403

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the nutritional status of post-liver transplant patients. The sample consisted of a group of patients submitted to liver transplantation and a control group of patients without liver disease. Nutritional status was assessed by body composition and anthropometric methods. Body mass index indicating overweight and obesity was observed regardless of the post-liver transplantation period. Waist circumference was greater than the value recommended by the World Health Organization in the majority of post-transplant patients. Patients with a longer post-transplant period had a mean phase angle similar to that of the control group, while patients with a shorter post-transplant period had a lower mean phase angle. These results suggest a full recovery from surgery and a health improvement after transplantation since the phase angle is a measure related to nutritional status and prognosis. In conclusion, although the post-liver transplantation population studied may have had a full recovery and health improvement after surgery, obesity and excessive body fat mass are prevalent and may be deleterious in the long term in view of the associated risk of cardiovascular events.

Keywords

Liver transplantation; Obesity; Fat body mass; Phase angle

Cite the article

Silva MA, Junior AAJ, de Castro e Silva Junior O. Obesity in Patients after Liver Transplantation. Clin Surg. 2017; 2: 1403.