Antiplatelets May Prevent Hepatic Fibrosis in Patients at Risk for Chronic Liver Disease

Antiplatelet agents may reduce the odds of hepatic fibrosis in patients at risk for chronic liver disease, according to a meta-analysis published in Hepatology International.

To examine the impact of antiplatelet use on hepatic fibrosis progression, study authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using studies identified through a search of Medline, EMBASE, and PubMed from inception to October 2018. The primary outcome evaluated was hepatic fibrosis; a pooled estimate of the odds of hepatic fibrosis with and without antiplatelet therapy was calculated using a fixed-effect generic inverse variance method. Of the total 2310 articles identified, 4 studies (N=3141) were included in the analysis.

Results showed that among patients at risk for chronic liver disease, the likelihood of hepatic fibrosis was reduced by 32% in patients who received antiplatelet agents (adjusted pooled odds ratio [OR] 0.68, 95% CI, 0.56-0.82; P≤ .0001). Regarding potential mechanisms, the authors noted that the anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects of antiplatelets likely play a role in hepatic fibrosis prevention.

As the analysis included a limited number of studies, the authors concluded that additional high-quality studies were need to better understand the possible benefits of antiplatelets in the prevention of hepatic fibrosis.

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