Sarcopenia in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Reviewing Past Work to Pave the Path for the Future.

Purpose of the review: Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle quantity and strength. It is highly prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with periods of ongoing inflammation. This review will summarize the prior work in the field and highlight areas for future research.

Recent findings: The presence of sarcopenia has been associated with adverse outcomes in different populations. Most recently, sarcopenia has been associated with adverse postoperative outcomes and an increased likelihood of surgery in IBD. Despite this, significant heterogeneity among these studies limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions.

Summary: The importance of sarcopenia in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is only beginning to be recognized. Future studies assessing it utility both as a risk stratification tool and a modifiable factor in IBD are needed.