Clinical impact of sarcopenia and relevance of nutritional intake in patients before and after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PurposeWe conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation on minimizing sarcopenia during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) therapy.MethodsWe developed a protocol to test for retention of physical function during HSCT. Muscle strength, muscle circumference, and muscle function before and after HSCT were measured. Consecutive patients with hematological malignancies who underwent HSCT treatment were recruited in this research.ResultsWe included 34 patients (16 females, 18 males; median age, 51.5 years). Bodyweight significantly decreased after HSCT (p ConclusionsSarcopenia during HSCT was affected by oral caloric intake during the preparation regimen and after transplantation. Physical therapy in conjunction with nutritional therapy may help prevent weakness in HSCT recipients.