Sex, Ascites and Alcoholism in Survival of Patients with Cirrhosis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The hypothesis that prednisone treatment increases the survival of female patients with compensated, nonalcoholic cirrhosis, based on a previously published controlled trial in unselected patients, was confirmed in a new series. From the total material, comprising 512 patients (old series 334 patients, new series 178 patients), it was estimated that female sex was the most positive single factor determining the effect of prednisone treatment on survival, and ascites was the most negative factor. A significant alcohol consumption tended to be a negative factor, but was too closely linked with male sex to be analyzed separately. In female patients with compensated, nonalcoholic cirrhosis prednisone treatment increased the six-year survival by one third to two thirds. In other groups of patients, comprising about 70 per cent of the material, prednisone was ineffective or possibly harmful. (N Engl J Med 291:271–273, 1974)