Longitudinal decrease in platelet counts as a surrogate marker of liver fibrosis

Figure 2 Trends in platelet counts across 15 years prior to cirrhosis diagnosis among cases and controls, stratified by cirrhosis complications A: Varices (n = 551) and B: Ascites (n = 450), both done with locally weighted scatterplot smoothing for trend. In patients with complications of portal hypertension (varices and ascites), platelet counts decline is steeper compared to those with no such complications.