Search

Background: It has been suggested that increased blood haemoglobin attenuates splanchnic vasodilatation in portal-hypertensive rats by nitric oxide inactivation. However, the haemodynamic effect of anaemia in cirrhotic patients of varying severity has been rarely discussed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of anaemia on systemic and splanchnic haemodynamics in cirrhotic patients of differing severity. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-five cirrhotic patients were included in this study. All biochemical and haemodynamic results were utilized for analysis. Anaemia was defined as a haemoglobin level below the cut-off value of 12g/dL, which might best predict low systemic vascular resistance. Results: Compared with non-anaemic patients, anaemic patients had decreased mean arterial pressure (90 ± 1 vs 95 ± 1 mmHg, P = 0.002), and decreased systemic vascular resistance (1022 ± 25 vs 1227 ± 30, P < 0.0001), and increased cardiac index (4.3 ± 0.1 vs 3.8 ± 0.1 L/min per m2, P < 0.0001) and increased hepatic venous pressure gradient (16.7 ± 0.5 vs 14.4 ± 0.6 mmHg, P = 0.006). Haemoglobin concentration exerted an influence on the degree of vasodilatation in cirrhotic patients, with Child–Pugh’s A class (but not in Child–Pugh’s B and C classes), and in patients without ascites (but not in patients with ascites). Conclusions: It was concluded that anaemia has a negative effect on hyperdynamic circulation in patients with early cirrhosis which is not observed in patients with advanced cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]