Severe Sarcopenia and Increased Fat Stores in Pediatric Patients With Liver, Kidney, or Intestine Failure

Abstract

These results demonstrate significant sarcopenia and increased fat stores in end-stage organ failure patients, which supports the idea of an active physiologic mechanism to store fat while losing muscle mass. Sarcopenia may be related to total protein loss from a catabolic state, or from decreased synthesis (liver), wasting (kidney), or malabsorption (intestine).