The Effect of Loop Diuretics on Sarcopenia and Long-Term Prognosis in Patients with Refractory Hepatic Ascites Treated with Tolvaptan

We investigated sarcopenia, focusing on the dose of loop diuretics used in 70 patients with refractory hepatic ascites treated with tolvaptan. Bloating improved in 68.5% of patients, as determined using the Japanese version of the Support Team Assessment Schedule. The psoas muscle index (PMI) was used to define sarcopenia. A statistically significant difference was observed in the PMI between patients receiving low-dose (3.6 ± 1.2 cm2/m2) and high-dose furosemide (3.1 ± 1.2 cm2/m2) before tolvaptan treatment (P = 0.048). The PMI increased from 3.2 ± 1.1 cm2/m2 to 3.5 ± 1.3 cm2/m2 (P = 0.002) in responders, but decreased from 3.4 ± 1.2 cm2/m2 to 3.0 ± 1.0 cm2/m2 (P = 0.106) in non-responders before and after tolvaptan treatment, respectively. The long-term prognosis improved in responders compared with non-responders (mean survival time: 646 days vs. 228 days, P < 0.001). Early introduction of tolvaptan treatment is necessary to prevent the progression of sarcopenia.