Opioids Are Associated With Hepatic Encephalopathy
Frequently prescribed for pain associated with cirrhosis of the liver, opioids may increase the risk of hepatic encephalopathy, according to research. Six months post nearly 6,500 patients’ cirrhosis diagnoses, researchers assessed short-term and chronic painkiller usage and whether patients developed hepatic encephalopathy within six to 18 months after cirrhosis diagnosis. Data found that opioids prescriptions were associated with risk of incident hepatic encephalopathy, and their use should be minimized.
Reference: Moon AM, Jiang Y, Rogal SS, Tapper EB, Lieber SR, Barritt AS 4th. Opioid prescriptions are associated with hepatic encephalopathy in a national cohort of patients with compensated cirrhosis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2020 Mar;51(6):652-660. doi: 10.1111/apt.15639. Epub 2020 Jan 21. PMID: 31960985; PMCID: PMC7047528.
