Nonselective beta-blocker use is associated with increased hepatic encephalopathy-related readmissions in cirrhosis

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients on the first liver-related hospitalization

	Whole group (n = 393)	NSBB group (n = 143)	No-NSBB group (n = 250)	P value
Age, yr	58.1 ± 10.2	57.5 ± 8.8	58.4 ± 11.0	0.392
Gender, male	229 (58.3)	88 (61.5)	141 (56.4)	0.323
Heart rate, bpm	84 (44-161)	76 (44-122)	87 (50-161)	< 0.0014
Etiology of liver disease1				0.323
Hepatitis C virus	129 (32.8)	55 (38.5)	74 (29.6)
Alcoholic	124 (31.6)	38 (26.6)	86 (34.4)
NASH	49 (12.5)	17 (11.9)	32 (12.8)
Cryptogenic	51 (13.0)	21 (14.7)	30 (12.0)
Other causes	56 (14.2)	23 (16.1)	33 (13.2)
CTP score				0.0543
A	28 (7.1)	13 (9.1)	15 (6.0)
B	172 (43.8)	71 (49.7)	101 (40.4)
C	193 (49.1)	59 (41.3)	134 (53.6)
MELD score	19 (6-40)	17 (6-39)	19 (6-40)	0.024
MELD-Na score	22 (6-40)	20 (6-39)	22.5 (6-40)	0.0054
History of hepatocellular carcinoma	29 (7.4)	8 (5.6)	21 (8.4)	0.313
History of esophageal varices	154 (39.2)	84 (58.7)	70 (28.0)	< 0.0013
History of TIPS	47 (12.0)	17 (11.9)	30 (12.0)	0.973
Presence of HE	323 (82.2)	113 (79.0)	210 (84.0)	0.223
Lactulose use	285 (72.5)	107 (74.8)	178 (71.2)	0.443
Rifaximin use	208 (52.9)	81 (56.6)	127 (50.8)	0.263
Presence of ascites	144 (36.7)	50 (35.0)	94 (37.8)	0.583
International normalized ratio	1.5 (1-14)	1.4 (1-4)	1.6 (1-14)	0.0034
Platelet count, × 10-3/mm3	84 (4-515)	72 (15-280)	95 (4-515)	0.0024
White cell count, × 10-3/mm3	6.8 (0.2-51.9)	5.7 (1.3-43.7)	7.7 (0.2-51.9)	< 0.0014
Creatinine, mg/dL	1.3 (0.3-33.0)	1.4 (0.4-33.0)	1.3 (0.3-9.3)	0.594
Total bilirubin, mg/dL	2.7 (0.2-137.0)	2.5 (0.2-43.0)	3.1 (0.3-137.0)	0.034
Serum Albumin, g/dL	2.7 (1.0-5.0)	2.8 (2.0-5.0)	2.6 (1.0-5.0)	0.024
Aspartate aminotransferase, U/L	59 (3-4048)	51 (8-677)	67 (3-4048)	< 0.0014
Alanine aminotransferase, U/L	39 (10-1180)	34 (13-538)	41 (10-1180)	0.024

Data are presented as n (%), mean ± SD or median (range).

¹The cumulative percent exceeds 100% as some patients had multiple etiologies of liver disease.

²P calculated by Independent-samples t-test.

³P calculated by χ² test.

⁴P calculated by Mann-Whitney U test.

CTP: Child-Turcotte-Pugh; HE: Hepatic encephalopathy; NSBB: Nonselective beta-blocker; MELD: Model for End-Stage Liver Disease; Na: Sodium; NASH: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; TIPS: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.