Which is an important indicator of protein-energy malnutrition in chronic liver disease?

Which is an important indicator of protein-energy malnutrition in chronic liver disease?

• A. Jaundice
• B. Muscle wasting
• C. Elevated liver function tests
• D. Hepatic encephalopathy

Answer: (B)

Muscle wasting directly reflects loss of lean body mass from protein-energy malnutrition. In chronic liver disease, increased energy needs and impaired protein metabolism often lead to sarcopenia, even when fat stores are preserved, making reduced muscle mass a practical and reliable indicator of PEM. Jaundice signals bilirubin handling problems, not nutritional depletion. Elevated liver enzymes show hepatocellular injury or cholestasis, not lean mass loss. Hepatic encephalopathy arises from toxin buildup due to liver failure and can be influenced by nutrition, but it does not measure protein-energy depletion itself. So the presence of muscle wasting best identifies protein-energy malnutrition in this setting.

Muscle wasting directly reflects loss of lean body mass from protein-energy malnutrition. In chronic liver disease, increased energy needs and impaired protein metabolism often lead to sarcopenia, even when fat stores are preserved, making reduced muscle mass a practical and reliable indicator of PEM. Jaundice signals bilirubin handling problems, not nutritional depletion. Elevated liver enzymes show hepatocellular injury or cholestasis, not lean mass loss. Hepatic encephalopathy arises from toxin buildup due to liver failure and can be influenced by nutrition, but it does not measure protein-energy depletion itself. So the presence of muscle wasting best identifies protein-energy malnutrition in this setting.