Epidemiology of liver cirrhosis and associated complications: Current knowledge and future directions

Abstract

Cirrhosis causes a heavy global burden. In this review, we summarized up-to-date epidemiological features of cirrhosis and its complications. Recent epidemiological studies reported an increase in the prevalence of cirrhosis in 2017 compared to in 1990 in both men and women, with 5.2 million cases of cirrhosis and chronic liver disease occurring in 2017. Cirrhosis caused 1.48 million deaths in 2019, an increase of 8.1% compared to 2017. Disability-adjusted life-years due to cirrhosis ranked 16th among all diseases and 7th in people aged 50-74 years in 2019. The global burden of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus-associated cirrhosis is decreasing, while the burden of cirrhosis due to alcohol and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing rapidly. We described the current epidemiology of the major complications of cirrhosis, including ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, renal disorders, and infections. We also summarized the epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis. In the future, NAFLD-related cirrhosis will likely become more common due to the prevalence of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, and the prevalence of alcohol-induced cirrhosis is increasing. This altered epidemiology should be clinically noted, and relevant interventions should be undertaken.

Selective Partial Agonism of Vasopressin 1a Receptors In Vitro by OCE-205

“…Acute HRS-AKI is defined by recent guidelines as an increase in serum creatinine of ≥0.3 mg/dL within 48 h, an increase in serum creatinine of ≥1.5 times baseline, or urine volume <0.5 mL/kg/h for 6 h. 25 Patients with HRS-AKI have a poor prognosis, with fewer than half of patients surviving 90 days. 26 Because the prevalence of decompensated cirrhosis is increasing, 27 the incidence of HRS-AKI and the need for timely treatment are also likely to increase. Furthermore, OCE-205 has the potential for more generalized use for other complications of decompensated cirrhosis, such as resistant and refractory ascites or post-paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction, because the underlying mechanisms of renal dysfunction are similar.…”

Radiobioinformatics: A novel bridge between basic research and clinical practice for clinical decision support in diffuse liver diseases

“…Common causes of liver fibrosis include NAFLD, ALD, chronic viral hepatitis, druginduced liver injury, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic disorders. If the primary cause is not treated promptly, liver fibrosis may progress to cirrhosis, which can lead to portal hypertension and related complications, such as varicose bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, hydrops, hepatorenal syndrome, and even hepatocellular carcinoma [15][16][17][18]. Early treatment of the underlying factors of liver fibrosis can stabilize or even reverse the disease [19].…”

Frequentmers - a novel way to look at metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing data and an application in detecting liver cirrhosis

“…Liver cirrhosis is a major health burden across countries, affecting 5.2 million people globally and causing 1.48 million deaths in 2019 alone (Y.-B. Liu and Chen 2022). The proportion of liver cirrhosis deaths as a fraction of total deaths in the population has increased in the last decade, indicating the need for early detection and intervention, including lifestyle changes and treatments (GBD 2017 Cirrhosis Collaborators 2020).…”