Nutritional assessment and treatment of patients with liver cirrhosis

Prevalence of chronic liver diseases, including liver cirrhosis, is increasing worldwide. The nutritional state assessment in these patients is complicated, and besides anthropometry is based on several other tools in order to be more accurate. Specific dietary recommendations are needed in patients with chronic liver diseases in order to help prevent and treat liver decompensation because malnutrition is an independent predictor of mortality. This review focuses on essential aspects in the nutritional assessment of cirrhotic patients and some general recommendations for their treatment. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.