title: Body composition and overweight of liver transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Overweight is often used as a description after liver transplantation (LTx), but studies on body composition of patients submitted to LTx have only been devoted to early postoperative periods; there is little information regarding abdominal obesity after LTx. The aim of this study was to assess body composition, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference and verify the prevalence and risk factors for excessive weight, obesity, and abdominal obesity in long-term survivors of LTx.
  
  
  METHODS
  Post-LTx patients with at least 1 year post-LTx were assessed for their body composition (by bioimpedance), BMI, and waist circumference. Demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and clinical and dietetic variables were collected to assess risk factors using linear and logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 143 patients (51±13 years; 59.4% male; median time since LTx: 4 years). The majority of patients had excessive weight, considering BMI, (58.1%). Considering body composition, 69.9% of patients were overweight and 37.8% obese. Some degree of abdominal obesity was seen in 88% of patients. Independent risk factors for overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity after LTx included greater BMI before liver disease, weight gain since LTx, family history of overweight, smoking, working, being married, having less time since transplantation, a lower calcium intake, and less sleeping hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of patients are overweight or obese after LTx, and many of the associated risk factors are modifiable. Thus, patients, especially those who already have identified risk factors for overweight and obesity, undergoing LTx should be encouraged to engage in lifestyle changes early.
authors.affiliation: Adult Health Post Graduate Program, Medical School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucilene Rezende
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Anastácio
authors.forename: Lívia Garcia
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Hélem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Sena Ribeiro
authors.forename: Agnaldo Soares
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Eduardo Garcia
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Toulson Davisson Correia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference