Prevalence and Risk Factors of Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy: A Meta-Analysis

Aims Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) is a common complication in patients with portal hypertension, yet its prevalence and associated risk factors remain variably reported. This meta-analysis aims to provide a pooled estimate of PHG prevalence and identify significant risk factors across multiple studies [1] [2] [3] [4].

Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using data from four studies (N=1035) investigating PHG prevalence and associated risk factors. Pooled prevalence rates were calculated using inverse variance weighting. Odds ratios (OR) for significant risk factors were derived using a fixed-effects model. Heterogeneity across studies was assessed using the I² statistic.

Results The pooled prevalence of PHG was 79.2% (95% CI: 76.9%-81.6%). Significant risk factors for PHG included low albumin levels, thrombocytopenia, presence of esophageal and gastric varices, and high hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). The combined odds ratio for these risk factors was 1.78 (95% CI: 1.68-1.89). Minimal heterogeneity was observed across studies (I²=12%), suggesting consistent findings. A forest plot of individual study ORs and pooled estimates demonstrated the robustness of the results.

Conclusions This meta-analysis highlights the high prevalence of PHG among patients with portal hypertension and underscores the significant role of hypoalbuminemia, varices, and elevated HVPG as risk factors. These findings suggest that early identification of high-risk patients is crucial for optimizing management strategies, particularly in endoscopic surveillance. Integrating endoscopic findings with clinical risk factors could refine prognostic models for PHG severity and guide therapeutic interventions.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors do not have any conflict of interest to disclose.

• References

• 1 Marrache M.K., Daher H.B., Rockey D.C.. The relationship between portal hypertension and portal hypertensive gastropathy. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 2022; 57 (3): 340-344
• 2 Wu R., Zhang X., Chen J.. Risk factors for portal hypertensive gastropathy in cirrhotic patients: A retrospective study BMC Gastroenterology. 2022 22 (1).
• 3 Dağcı S.. et al. Portal hypertensive gastropathy and gastric antral vascular ectasia as overlooked causes of bleeding in cirrhotic patients: A retrospective analysis. 2024
• 4 Wu R. et al. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy: A Multi-Center Study. Journal of Gastrointestinal Disorders 2022; 15 (2): 123-130

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
27. März 2025