Physical exercise in cirrhotic patients: Towards prehabilitation on waiting list for liver transplantation. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Early survival after Liver Transplantation (LT) is reduced among sarcopenic patients. Despite, Adapted Physical Activity (APA) before LT is rarely proposed for the risk to impair portal hypertension and its resulting complications.

Objectives: To assess the effects of APA program in adults affected by End Stage Liver Disease (ESLD) on hospital stay, 1-year mortality and morbidity after LT, adverse events (Primary outcomes). Secondary outcomes were changes in VO2 peak, muscle morphology, 6minutes walking distance test (6MWD), Body Mass Index (BMI), MELD, CHILD score and Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG).

Search methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library database were explored for randomized clinical trials (RCT).

Data collection and analysis: Data were collected by one review author on the type of study, participants, treatments used for primary and secondary outcomes. Review Manager 5.2 was used for the analysis.

Main results: Four RCT with 81 patients were included. Primary outcomes: no severe adverse event was observed, but no published data were available on hospital stay or mortality after LT.

Secondary outcomes: CHILD, MELD and BMI were not worsened by physical activity. No significant muscle diameter, 6MWD and VO2 peak changes were observed after exercise. Significant reduction in HVPG in the treatment group was observed in a single study (MD-2.5mmHg; 95%CI [-04.76, -0.24]; P=0.03).

Authors' conclusions: Knowledge in this field is still at an early stage. Evidence derived from small trials of medium quality on ESLD patients suggests that APA is safe, without increasing portal hypertension. Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the intervention effect.