Table 1 Baseline characteristics of all included patients and by treatment group

Age (years)

65.5 ± 9.9

64.9 ± 10.3

66.1 ± 9.6

0.64

Female sex, n(%)

28 (51.9%)

14 (51.9%)

14 (51.9%)

1.00

Weight (kg)

65.9 ± 12.9

63.6 ± 13.6

68.2 ± 12.2

0.18

Height (cm)

160.3 ± 8.4

159.1 ± 8.2

161.6 ± 8.5

0.27

BMI (kg/m²)

25.7 ± 4.8

24.9 ± 4.7

26.5 ± 5.0

0.26

Causes of cirrhosis, n(%)

- HBV

21 (38.9%)

9 (33.4%)

12 (44.5%)

0.62

- Alcohol

14 (25.9%)

8 (29.6%)

6 (22.2%)

- HCV

8 (14.8%)

4 (14.8%)

4 (14.8%)

-Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

4 (7.4%)

2 (7.4%)

2 (7.4%)

- Others

7 (13.0%)

4 (14.8%)

3 (11.1%)

Child-Pugh class, n(%)

- A

37 (68.5%)

18 (667%)

19 (66.7%)

1.00

- B

17 (31.5%)

9 (33.3%)

8 (29.6%)

MELD score

10.3 ± 3.1

10.4 ± 3.5

10.3 ± 2.8

0.86

MELD-Na score

12.6 ± 4.1

12.5 ± 4.5

12.7 ± 3.7

0.84

Laboratory parameters

- Hb (g/dl)

12.2 ± 1.4

12.4 ± 1.5

11.9 ± 1.4

0.16

- WBC (x10³/ul)

5.3 ± 1.8

5.5 ± 2.0

5.1 ± 1.7

0.49

- Platelet (x10³/ul)

138.9 ± 74.6

131.7 ± 63.9

145 ± 84.7

0.52

- BUN (mg/dl)

13.5 ± 4.0

13.1 ± 3.9

14 ± 4.2

0.39

- Creatinine (mg/dl)

0.9 ± 0.3

0.8 ± 0.3

1.0 ± 0.3

0.07

- AST (U/L)

45.1 ± 19.2

47.9 ± 22.9

42.3 ± 14.5

0.28

- ALT (U/L)

28.8 ± 14.4

29.9 ± 25.2

27.7 ± 13.7

0.56

- ALP (U/L)

98.2 ± 38.4

104.4 ± 44.4

91.9 ± 30.1

0.23

- Total protein (g/dl)

7.5 ± 0.5

7.6 ± 0.6

7.4 ± 0.4

0.17

- Albumin (g/dl)

3.5 ± 0.6

3.4 ± 0.6

3.5 ± 0.5

0.56

- Total bilirubin (mg/dl)

1.4 ± 1

1.6 ± 1.2

1.2 ± 0.69

0.11

- aPTT (sec)

27.5 ± 4.9

26. ±4.1

28.3 ± 5.7

0.27

- PT (sec)

14.0 ± 2.1

13.9 ± 2.0

14.3 ± 2.1

0.87

- HbA1C (%)

5.5 ± 0.5

5.4 ± 0.5

5.6 ± 0.6

0.35

LFI

5.1 ± 0.4

5.0 ± 0.4

5.2 ± 0.5

0.14

Body composition

- Muscle mass (kg)

19.7 ± 4.7

19.3 ± 5.4

20.1 ± 3.8

0.52

- SMI (kg/m²)

7.7 ± 1.4

7.5 ± 1.6

7.8 ± 1.2

0.58

- Fat free mass (kg)

45.9 ± 8.5

45.2 ± 9.9

46.5 ± 7.1

0.59