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Sarcopenia in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Reviewing Past Work to Pave the Path for the Future

  • Irritable Bowel Diseases (D Adams, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of the Review

Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle quantity and strength. It is highly prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with periods of ongoing inflammation. This review will summarize the prior work in the field and highlight areas for future research.

Recent Findings

The presence of sarcopenia has been associated with adverse outcomes in different populations. Most recently, sarcopenia has been associated with adverse postoperative outcomes and an increased likelihood of surgery in IBD. Despite this, significant heterogeneity among these studies limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions.

Summary

The importance of sarcopenia in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is only beginning to be recognized. Future studies assessing its utility both as a risk stratification tool and a modifiable factor in IBD are needed.

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Funding

R03AG074059 [BK].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Adam S. Faye MD, MS

  2. Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Adam S. Faye MD, MS

  3. New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, USA

    Tasnin Khan BS, MS

  4. Department of Medicine, BronxCare Health System, Bronx, NY, USA

    Sandhya Cautha MD

  5. Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Bharati Kochar MD, MS

  6. The Mongan Institute, Boston, MA, USA

    Bharati Kochar MD, MS

  7. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Bharati Kochar MD, MS

  8. Crohn’s & Colitis Center, 165 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Bharati Kochar MD, MS

Authors
  1. Adam S. Faye MD, MS
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  2. Tasnin Khan BS, MS
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  3. Sandhya Cautha MD
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  4. Bharati Kochar MD, MS
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Correspondence to Bharati Kochar MD, MS.

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Conflict of Interest

All the authors have no relevant conflicts of interest to declare. Adam S. Faye reports the following disclosures: consulting for GuidePoint, Janssen, LEK, M3, and Schlesinger. Bharati Kochar reports the following disclosures: advisory board for Pfizer, Inc. Tasnin Khan and Sandhya Cautha declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Adam S. Faye and Tasnin Khan are co-first authors.

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Irritable Bowel Diseases.

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Faye, A., Khan, T., Cautha, S. et al. Sarcopenia in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Reviewing Past Work to Pave the Path for the Future. Curr Treat Options Gastro 20, 250–260 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-022-00389-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-022-00389-8

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