title: Nutrition in alcoholic liver disease.
abstract: The liver plays an important role in the metabolism, synthesis, storage, and absorption of nutrients. Patients with cirrhosis are prone to nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition, with a higher prevalence among patients with decompensated disease. Mechanisms of nutritional deficiencies in patients with liver disease are not completely understood and probably multifactorial. Malnutrition among patients with cirrhosis or alcoholic liver disease correlates with poor quality of life, increased risk of infections, frequent hospitalizations, complications, mortality, poor graft and patient survival after liver transplantation, and economic burden. Physicians, including gastroenterologists and hepatologists, should be conversant with assessment and management of malnutrition and nutritional supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Ashwani K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Singal
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Charlton
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D044623:Nutrition Therapy; D009752:Nutritional Status