In a randomized controlled trial, addition of simvastatin to standard therapy did not reduce rebleeding, but was associated with a survival benefit for patients with Child-Pugh class A or B cirrhosis. Survival was not the primary end point of the study, so these results require validation. The incidence of rhabdomyolysis in patients receiving 40 mg/d simvastatin was higher than expected. European Clinical Trial Database ID: EUDRACT 2009-016500-24; ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01095185.

and the EVL Study Group ␤-Blockers and endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) have proven to be valuable methods in the prevention of variceal rebleeding. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of EVL combined with nadolol versus EVL alone as secondary prophylaxis for variceal bleeding. Patients admitted for acute variceal bleeding were treated during emergency endoscopy with EVL or sclerotherapy and received somatostatin for 5 days. At that point, patients were randomized to receive EVL plus nadolol or EVL alone. EVL sessions were repeated every 10 to 12 days until the varices were eradicated. Eighty patients with cirrhosis (alcoholic origin in 66%) were included (Child-Turcotte-Pugh A, 15%; B, 56%; C, 29%). The median follow-up period was 16 months (range, 1-24 months). The variceal bleeding recurrence rate was 14% in the EVL plus nadolol group and 38% in the EVL group (P ‫؍‬ .006). Mortality was similar in both groups: five patients (11.6%) died in the combined therapy group and four patients (10.8%) died in the EVL group. There were no significant differences in the number of EVL sessions to eradicate varices: 3.2 ؎ 1.3 in the combined therapy group versus 3.5 ؎ 1.3 in the EVL alone group. The actuarial probability of variceal recurrence at 1 year was lower in the EVL plus nadolol group (54%) than in the EVL group (77%; P ‫؍‬ .06). Adverse effects resulting from nadolol were observed in 11% of the patients. In conclusion, nadolol plus EVL reduces the incidence of variceal rebleeding compared with EVL alone. A combined treatment could lower the probability of variceal recurrence after eradication. V ariceal bleeding is a serious complication of portal hypertension and a leading cause of death in patients with liver cirrhosis. The patients who survive an initial episode have a risk of rebleeding approaching 80% at 2 years. 1 After the first episode of hemorrhage from esophageal varices, ␤-blockers and endoscopic treatment are effective therapies in the secondary prevention of variceal bleeding. 2 Unfortunately, nonselective ␤-blockers achieve target reductions in hepatic venous pressure gradient in only approximately one third of patients. [3][4][5] Moreover, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) has been replaced almost universally by endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL), because variceal eradication is faster and provides a lower variceal rebleeding rate with fewer secondary effects than in EIS. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] In addition, a meta-analysis has shown a lower mortality in EVL than in EIS. 14 Some studies comparing band ligation with ␤-blockers plus isosorbide mononitrate show contradictory results regarding the effectiveness of both treatments in the prevention of variceal rebleeding. [15][16][17] The rationale behind the use of a combination therapy is that agents acting through different mechanisms may have additive or even synergistic benefits. 5 There are few studies analyzing the efficacy of associating both therapeutic methods, ␤-blockers and EVL, in the prevention of recurrent hemor...

SUMMARYAim: To evaluate whether eradication of Helicobacter pylori prevents peptic ulcer in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug users by means of a meta-analysis. Material and methods: A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and the AGA congress. Randomized trials comparing H. pylori eradication vs. non-eradication or eradication vs. a proton pump inhibitor in patients receiving a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug were selected. Results: Five studies and 939 patients were included in the analysis; 34 of 459 (7.4%) patients developed a peptic ulcer in the eradicated group vs. 64 of 480 (13.3%) in the control group. The odds ratio was 0.43 (95% confidence interval: 0.20-0.93). Sub-analyses showed a significant reduction of risk for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-naive (odds ratio ¼ 0.26; 95% confidence interval: 0.14-0.49) but not for previously treated patients (odds ratio ¼ 0.95, 95% confidence interval: 0.53-1.72). Two studies with a total of 385 patients compared eradication vs. a proton pump inhibitor; five of 196 (2.6%) developed a peptic ulcer in the eradicated group vs. zero of 189 (0%) in the proton pump inhibitor group (odds ratio ¼ 7.43; 95% confidence interval: 1.27-43.6). Conclusion: Helicobacter pylori eradication reduces the incidence of peptic ulcer in the overall population receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It appears to be especially effective when performed in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-naïve patients. Nonetheless, eradication seems less effective than treatment with a maintenance proton pump inhibitor for preventing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated ulcers.

Diet supplementation with BCAA after an episode of HE does not decrease recurrence of HE. However, supplementation with BCAA improves minimal HE and muscle mass. Identification of risk factors for recurrence of HE may allow the development of new preventive therapies that could decrease the neuropsychological sequelae of repeated episodes of HE.