Prevalence and determinants of frailty-sarcopenia comorbidity in hospitalized patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatic echinococcosis.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and influencing factors of comorbid frailty and sarcopenia in hospitalized patients with hepatic echinococcosis undergoing liver transplantation, thereby providing evidence for targeted clinical interventions.

METHODS

A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 118 patients who underwent liver transplantation and were hospitalized in the hepatobiliary echinococcosis departments of two tertiary grade A hospitals in Urumqi from March 2023 to July 2025. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Liver Frailty Index (LFI), a sarcopenia screening questionnaire, the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and a general health status scale. Univariate analyses were performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), χ2 tests, or non-parametric tests, as appropriate. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with preoperative comorbidity of frailty and sarcopenia in liver transplant recipients.

RESULTS

Valid data were obtained from 114 patients. The prevalence of comorbid frailty and sarcopenia in this patient population was 25.44 %. Logistic regression analysis indicated that older age, a higher number of comorbid chronic diseases, lower hemoglobin levels, and reduced social support were independent determinants (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Comorbid frailty and sarcopenia were relatively prevalent among hospitalized patients with hepatic echinococcosis undergoing liver transplantation. Comprehensive preoperative evaluations should be conducted to identify these comorbidities, and targeted intervention strategies should be implemented promptly based on the identified determinants to mitigate disease progression.