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Cirrhosis was once considered a single, terminal disease stage but has recently become viewed as five distinct stages with different survival likelihoods: compensated cirrhosis with no esophageal varices (stage 1), development of varices (stage 2), development of ascites (stage 3), development of gastrointestinal bleeding (stage 4), and development of infections and renal failure (stage 5). Annual mortality rates increase by stage (1%, 3%, 20%, 57%, and 67%, respectively).
In the current review, the authors highlight the need for preventive therapies in patients with cirrhosis to delay the onset of complications. They summarize three types of prevention strategies, beginning with the least invasive: lifestyle changes, specific treatment acco…