Role of Nutritional Intervention with Friliver for the Treatment of Sarcopenia in Cirrhotic Patients with Refractory Ascites Candidate to Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Placement and Identification of Prognostic Factors Related to Clinical Outcome
The hypothesis is that in patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites candidate to TIPS, and sarcopenia (identified by a PMA ≤16 cm² at the level of L3), who are at high-risk of 6-month mortality after TIPS placement, a post-TIPS 12 weeks nutritional intervention is associated with improved post-TIPS prognosis. The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of a post-TIPS 12 weeks nutritional intervention on liver transplant-free six-month survival in sarcopenic candidates to TIPS for refractory ascites in cirrhosis.
• men and women with an age ≥ 18 and ≤ 80 years
• clinical, radiological or histological diagnosis of liver cirrhosis
• diagnosis of RA
• confirmation of sarcopenia defined in CT scan as the sum of the psoas muscle areas measured at the level of the 3rd lumbar vertebra (PMA) ≤16 cm2
• informed consent signed