title: A randomized controlled study of propranolol for prevention of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis: a final report.
abstract: We have previously reported the results of a controlled trial showing that continuous oral administration of propranolol reduced the risk of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis; only part of our patients had been followed for 1 year. This controlled trial was continued for an additional year; accordingly, all of our patients have now been followed for at least 2 years. The purpose of the present study is to determine whether prolonged administration enhances the efficacy of this therapy. Seventy-four patients with cirrhosis, admitted for an episode of gastrointestinal bleeding, were included in this study; ascites, jaundice and encephalopathy were absent or mild and transient. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups; one group of 38 patients received propranolol twice daily at doses that reduced the resting heart rate by 25%, the other group of 36 patients received a placebo twice daily. The cumulative percentages of patients free of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding 1 and 2 years after inclusion were 87 and 79% in the propranolol group, and 42 and 32% in the placebo group; both differences were highly significant (p less than 0.0001). Furthermore, the cumulative percentages of surviving patients 1 and 2 years after inclusion were 94 and 90% in the propranolol group, and 84 and 57% in the placebo group; the difference between the two groups was not significant at 1 year, but was statistically significant at 2 years (p less than 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D011433:Propranolol; D003404:Creatinine