It has been concluded 40%-70% of chronic hepatitis B patients can achieve fibrosis/ cirrhosis reversion after effective anti-viral therapy. But there is still some patients progress to decompensation. Esophageal varices are the main complication of cirrhotic patients. Propranolol are widely used to prevent variceal bleeding in patients with large esophageal varices. It has been shown the efficacy of propranolol in the preventing of the progression from small to large varices reported no effect. Recently, carvedilol has been shown to be more potent in decreasing portal hypertension to propranolol. But the efficacy of carvedilol to delay the growth of esophageal varices in chronic hepatitis B patients was unclear. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of carvedilol in the preventing of the progression from small to large varices in hepatitis B patients.
Carvedilol has been shown to be more potent in decreasing portal hypertension to propranolol. But the efficacy of carvedilol to delay the growth of esophageal varices in chronic hepatitis B patients was unclear.