Effect of long‐term late‐evening snack on health‐related quality of life in cirrhotic patients

AIM: In patients with liver cirrhosis, abnormal energy metabolism induces low health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores. However, late-evening snack (LES) prevents morning starvation in cirrhotic patients. Our aim is to assess the effect of long-term LES on HRQOL in cirrhotic patients, using the 36-item Short Form (SF-36) health survey. METHODS: Thirty-nine cirrhotic patients classified as Child-Pugh grade A were recruited. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: 24 were assigned to the non-LES group and 15 to the LES group. SF-36 scores, anthropometric data and serum biochemical parameters were examined in the non-LES and LES groups at 0, 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Neither anthropometric data nor laboratory data showed significant differences between the non-LES and the LES groups at 0, 6 and 12 months. The role-emotional (RE) HRQOL scores at 6 months and mental health (MH) scores at 6 and 12 months were significantly reduced from the baseline level in the non-LES group. In contrast, these scores remained unchanged in the LES group. General health perception (GH) scores at 12 months, RE at 6 months and MH at 6 and 12 months in the LES group were significantly higher than those of the non-LES group. CONCLUSION: Long-term LES administration may be helpful in maintaining higher HRQOL in patients with cirrhosis.