In life, sometimes things go hand in hand.
It appears that this is true for liver disease too. In the world of medicine, we have found that as the liver gets more damaged, the blood pressure in our guts also increases.
This situation is called portal hypertension. But this is not where the story ends.
As it turns out, as portal hypertension gets worse, our bodies start to show signs of inflammation, and things start to get serious.
Understanding Portal Hypertension and Inflammation
Liver disease is a tough enemy. Over time, it scars the liver, making it hard for it to do its job. This scarred liver tissue leads to portal hypertension, which is basically high blood pressure in the gut’s blood vessels.
But things can get complicated pretty quickly. Portal hypertension can lead to some pretty severe problems in our bodies.
Now, scientists from MedUni Vienna have discovered a link between the severity of portal hypertension and the inflammation in our bodies.
As the blood pressure in our guts increases, so does inflammation throughout our bodies.
An Old Solution For A New Problem?
But don’t worry, there’s some good news. You might be familiar with the common medicines called beta-blockers. These are often used to treat high blood pressure.
Now, these same beta-blockers might help those with advanced liver disease.
We have been using beta-blockers for a long time now. They are a standard treatment for high blood pressure. But the problem is, they only help about 50% to 60% of patients to reduce their blood pressure in the gut.
A recent study has now discovered something new about beta-blockers. These drugs not only help with blood pressure but also seem to affect the inflammation in our bodies.
How Beta-Blockers Help with Inflammation
In this study, the scientists found signs of inflammation in the body before and during the treatment with beta-blockers.
They discovered that patients with severe cirrhosis, an advanced stage of liver disease, were more likely to have inflammation in their bodies.
But the exciting part is, these were also the patients who benefited the most from beta-blockers.
These patients saw a reduction in their inflammation markers, like the white blood cell count, under the treatment of beta-blockers.
The patients also experienced fewer complications of portal hypertension and had a lower risk of death.
This is a significant finding because it may help doctors predict who will benefit the most from the beta-blocker treatment. This way, doctors can give their patients the best advice possible.
The Road Ahead
These findings are pretty exciting, but they need to be proven in clinical trials. If the results hold up, this could be a game-changer for patients suffering from advanced liver disease.
The study was led by Thomas Reiberger and his team, and it was published in the journal called Gut. It’s an exciting time for medical research, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about potatoes and high blood pressure, and top 10 choices for a blood pressure-friendly diet
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about how to protect your kidneys from diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce the risk of kidney injury.
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