Malnutrition, a subacute or chronic nutritional condition, arises from insufficient (or excessive) food intake and/or inflammation, leading to compromised body composition and reduced bodily functions, adversely affecting clinical outcomes and prognosis. Given the liver's central role in metabolizing glucose, proteins, and fats, patients with ongoing liver damage, especially cirrhosis, commonly suffer from malnutrition. Studies indicate that 40% to 90% of hospitalized patients with liver disease experience malnutrition. It is an independent predictor of mortality in cirrhosis patients and is closely linked to complications like ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, infections, and recent findings also suggest connections with reduced quality of life, sleep disorders, micronutrient deficiencies, and frailty.
