Predictors of Incident High-Risk Varices in Patients with Hepatitis B-related Cirrhosis Receiving…

Cohort studyDigestive diseases (Basel, Switzerland)· Jul 2026

Predictors of Incident High-Risk Varices in Patients with Hepatitis B-related Cirrhosis Receiving Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Therapy.

Yu-Chia Chiu, Hsin-Ju Tsai, Chia-Chang Chen … Teng-Yu Lee

GastroenterologyCohort studyPrognosisQ2IF 2.3

FIB-4 ≥4.0 strongly linked with higher risk of developing high-risk varices

Predictors of Incident High-Risk Varices in Patients with Hepatitis B-related Cirrhosis Receiving Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Therapy.

Yu-Chia Chiu … Teng-Yu Lee

Digestive diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · Jul 2026 · Q2 in General Medicine

Background

In patients receiving nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy for chronic hepatitis B (chronic hepatitis B)-related cirrhosis, routine endoscopic surveillance may be deferred in the absence of high-risk varices (high-risk varices).

Purpose

We aimed to identify predictors of incident high-risk varices in this population.

Methods

With baseline high-risk varices, prior variceal ligation, use of nonselective beta-blockers, other viral hepatitis, alcohol overuse, or malignancy were excluded.

n = 110 patients

Results

FIB-4 of 4 or higher sharply raises risk of developing high-risk varices

1.5%

Low-risk group (0-3 po

21.4%

High-risk group (4-6 p

More results

At 3 years, the cumulative incidence of high-risk varices was 1.5% (95% CI, 0-4.5) in the low-risk group (0-3 points) and 21.4% (95% CI, 8.0-34.8) in the high-risk group (4-6 points) (P=0.001).

“

Conclusion

MASLD, FIB-4 and albumin-bilirubin grade predict incident high-risk varices in NA-treated chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis, enabling risk-stratified endoscopic surveillance.

Predictors of Incident High-Risk Varices in Patients with Hepatitis B-related Cirrhosis Receiving Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Therapy.

Predictors of Incident High-Risk Varices in Patients with Hepatitis B-related Cirrhosis Receiving Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Therapy.

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