Chronic liver damage is a serious health problem that can lead to life-threatening issues. Over time, the liver gets scarred, making it harder for blood to pass through it.
This causes pressure to build up in a large blood vessel called the portal vein, which carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver. When this pressure increases, it’s called portal hypertension.
Portal hypertension can lead to major complications. Veins in the esophagus or stomach can swell and burst, causing serious bleeding. Fluid can build up in the belly (a condition called ascites), and harmful substances that the liver can’t filter out may reach the brain, causing confusion or even coma (called hepatic encephalopathy).
Now, researchers from MedUni Vienna have discovered that a common drug used to treat high blood pressure—called a beta-blocker—might do more than just lower pressure. It might also help reduce inflammation in the body, especially in people with advanced liver damage, such as cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis happens when liver scarring becomes very severe. The study looked at people with cirrhosis and checked their inflammation levels before and during beta-blocker treatment. Inflammation is the body’s response to injury or infection, but when it’s widespread (called systemic inflammation), it can make diseases worse.
The study found that people with more advanced cirrhosis had higher inflammation. But when they took beta-blockers, their inflammation levels went down.
For example, the number of white blood cells—which are often high when there’s inflammation—dropped. People who had lower inflammation were less likely to have serious complications or die from liver disease.
This means beta-blockers might be doing double duty. They not only reduce portal vein pressure but also lower harmful inflammation in the body. This could make them more useful than doctors once thought.
Chronic liver damage can come from many sources. Drinking too much alcohol over many years can hurt the liver.
Viruses like hepatitis B and C can cause long-term liver disease. Some people have immune system problems or inherited conditions that damage the liver. Over time, the liver becomes stiff with scar tissue, which raises pressure in the portal vein and causes the serious problems mentioned earlier.
Beta-blockers have been used for many years to lower portal pressure, but they only work for about half of the patients. The new discovery that they also lower inflammation gives new hope. It may help more patients avoid problems and live longer.
Doctors may soon be able to use this information to create better treatment plans. By understanding who benefits most from beta-blockers, they can give the right treatment to the right people.
However, more research is needed to test these results on more people. If confirmed, it could lead to better care for people with advanced liver disease.
If you or someone you know has liver problems, talk to a doctor. Treatments may include lifestyle changes, medications like beta-blockers, or even a liver transplant. Each case is different, so it’s important to get personal medical advice.
This study, led by Thomas Reiberger and published in the journal Gut, shows how a common medicine could do more than we thought. It offers new hope for treating a serious condition and helping people live better, longer lives.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about simple habit that could give you a healthy liver, and common diabetes drug that may reverse liver inflammation.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about simple blood test that could detect your risk of fatty liver disease, and results showing this green diet may strongly lower non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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