Baveno-VII criteria to predict decompensation and initiate non-selective beta-blocker in compensated advanced chronic liver disease patients

• Published in: Clinical and molecular hepatology Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 135 - 145
• Main Authors: Wong, Yu Jun, Zhaojin, Chen, Tosetti, Guilia, Degasperi, Elisabetta, Sharma, Sanchit, Agarwal, Samagra, Chuan, Liu, Huak, Chan Yiong, Jia, Li, Xiaolong, Qi, Saraya, Anoop, Primignani, Massimo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Association for the Study of the Liver 01.01.2023; The Korean Association for the Study of the Liver; 대한간학회
• Subjects: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists - therapeutic use; Ascites; Beta blockers; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - complications; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - diagnosis; Clinical significance; Elasticity Imaging Techniques - adverse effects; Esophageal and Gastric Varices - complications; Etiology; Hepatitis; Humans; Hypertension; hypertension, portal; Hypertension, Portal - complications; Hypertension, Portal - diagnosis; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; Liver Cirrhosis - complications; Liver Cirrhosis - diagnosis; Liver Cirrhosis - pathology; Liver diseases; Liver Neoplasms - complications; Liver Neoplasms - diagnosis; Original; Patients; portal hypertension; Statistical analysis; Survival analysis; 내과학; Italy; Singapore; China; India; Liver cirrhosis; Hypertension, portal; Portal hypertension
• DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2022.0181
• ISSN: 2287-2728; 2287-285X

Background/Aims: The utility of Baveno-VII criteria of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) to predict decompensation in compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) patient needs validation. We aim to validate the performance of CSPH criteria to predict the risk of decompensation in an international real-world cohort of cACLD patients.Methods: cACLD patients were stratified into three categories (CSPH excluded, grey zone, and CSPH). The risks of decompensation across different CSPH categories were estimated using competing risk regression for clustered data, with death and hepatocellular carcinoma as competing events. The performance of “treating definite CSPH” strategy to prevent decompensation using non-selective beta-blocker (NSBB) was compared against other strategies in decision curve analysis.Results: One thousand one hundred fifty-nine cACLD patients (36.8% had CSPH) were included; 7.2% experienced decompensation over a median follow-up of 40 months. Non-invasive assessment of CSPH predicts a 5-fold higher risk of liver decompensation in cACLD patients (subdistribution hazard ratio, 5.5; 95% confidence interval, 4.0–7.4). “Probable CSPH” is suboptimal to predict decompensation risk in cACLD patients. CSPH exclusion criteria reliably exclude cACLD patients at risk of decompensation, regardless of etiology. Among the grey zone, the decompensation risk was negligible among viral-related cACLD, but was substantially higher among the non-viral cACLD group. Decision curve analysis showed that “treating definite CSPH” strategy is superior to “treating all varices” or “treating probable CSPH” strategy to prevent decompensation using NSBB.Conclusions: Non-invasive assessment of CSPH may stratify decompensation risk and the need for NSBB in cACLD patients.