Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of hepatic encephalopathy after a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in cirrhotic patients.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the rate of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis after the creation of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). This study retrospectively reviewed 436 consecutive patients with cirrhosis receiving TIPS in our department from 2008 to 2016. By comparing two groups of patients, with or without DM, the incidence of developing overt HE after TIPS, as well as the correlation between diabetes and HE, was analyzed. Data were analyzed using the χ-tests, unpaired t-tests, logistic regression, and Kaplan-Meier curves. After the initial data processing, we used a regression model to analyze whether or not DM is associated with the development of HE after TIPS. Of the 436 patients who underwent TIPS, 85 (19.5%) had diabetes at admission and 126 (28.9%) had HE after TIPS. Patients with DM more frequently had HE compared with those without DM (44.7 vs. 25.1%; P = 0.000). The logistic regression analysis showed that DM (P = 0.015) and age (P = 0.002) were independent risk factors for HE after TIPS. Finally, using the Kaplan-Meier curves, we found that diabetes significantly increases the incidence of overt HE (log-rank P = 0.026). Similar to old age, DM may increase the risk of HE in cirrhotic patients after the creation of TIPS.