Rethinking the role of non-selective beta blockers in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension

Table 1 Available literature on the potential correlation between non-selective beta blockers and mortality in patients with cirrhosis

Ref.	Patients	Refractory ascites	Propranolol dose/day	Follow-up	Mortality	Sepsis
Serstè et al[22]	74	100%	40 mg (9); 80 mg (31); 120 mg (1); 160 mg (36)	8 mo	63/77 (P < 0.0001 vs No NSBB)	NA
Galbois et al[40]	26	14 (53.8%)	NA	6 mo	21/26 (80.8%)	100%
Robins et al[60]	36	100%	48.9	10 mo	18/36 (50%) survival 18 mo	NA
Mandorfer et al[39]	245	100%	40 mg (20-120)	660 persons/year	Higher transplant free survival (HR = 0.771, P = 0.044)	No correlation between NSBB and SBP (HR = 0.728, P = 0.211)
Kimer et al[31]	23	100%	80 mg (40-200)	Retrospective	15/23 (65.2%)	NA
Leithead et al[30]	159 (119 on propranolol)	NA	80 mg (10-240)	Retrospective	35/159 (22%)	NA
Bossen et al[32]	559	46%	NA	12 mo	125/559 (22.5%)	NA
Mookerjee et al[37]	164 (propranolol 111; nadolol 6; carvedilol 16; other 31)	NA	40 (20-80; propranolol)	NA	40/164 vs 63/184 (24.4% vs 34.1%, P = 0.048)	NA
					Similar 6 and 12-mo mortality between groups (P = 0.64 and 0.35 respectively)
Pereira et al[33]	104	NA	NA	NA	67% vs 69% (P = ns)	21% vs 42% (P = ns)
Mallawaarachchi et al[34]	75 (8 propranolol)	NA	NA	28 mo	60% vs 66% (P = ns)	NA
Bhutta et al[35]	308 (nadolol 155; propranolol 64; carvedilol 72, other 62)	NA	NA	NA	Mean survival: 58 d in NSBB group (vs 32 d of control group; P = 0.033)	NA
Onali et al[36]	126	100%	NA	4 mo	20 vs 60 (16% vs 32%; P = 0.002)	NA

NA: Not available; NSBB: Non-selective beta blockers; SBP: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis; ns: No significance.