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Treatment of Liver Cirrhosis

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Currently, the only curative treatment for liver cirrhosis is a liver transplant, but this procedure cannot be carried out in all patients. Liver transplantation cannot be performed in all cases for two main reasons: (1) because the number of donors is limited and (2) because of the possible existence of other associated diseases that contraindicate transplantation.

Even so, treating the cause of cirrhosis can slow, or even stop, the progression of the disease. Some examples are:

In cirrhosis associated with alcohol consumption, the treatment is abstinence.

In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic risk factors, such as diabetes, or obesity need to be controlled.

In viral hepatitis, antiviral drugs can control or even eliminate the virus.

The treatment in patients with decompensated cirrhosis is based on controlling complications. For ascites, diuretic treatment and a low-salt diet are administered; for hepatic encephalopathy, treatment with lactitol and sometimes rifaximin will be started. The use of beta-blockers is indicated in patients at high risk of having gastrointestinal bleeding from oesophagogastric varices.

There are data that suggest that some treatments, such as statins or albumin, can modify the course of the disease, although they are not yet approved for use in day-to-day clinical practice.

Substantiated information by:

Adrià Juanola Mayos

Elisa Pose Mendez

Isabel Graupera Garcia-Milà Hepatologist Senior Specialist Hepatology Service

Martina Perez Guasch

Pere Ginès Gibert Hepatologist Hepatology Service

Published: 5 January 2023
Updated: 5 January 2023

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