Oral Branched-Chain Amino Acids as a Cost-Effective Option for Managing Hepatic Encephalopathy.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Oral branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) may benefit patients with cirrhosis, especially those with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). We analyzed the cost-effectiveness of BCAAs in improving the prognosis of patients with HE.

Materials and methods

We compared the total costs and effectiveness of oral BCAA treatment (Scenario 1) versus no BCAA supplementation (Scenario 2) in a virtual cohort of 10000 patients who had experienced HE over a 5-year period. A nested Markov model consisting of four health states (remission, recurrence, stabilization after recurrence, and death) for decompensated cirrhosis was used. Effectiveness was estimated as the cumulative number of HE recurrences and deaths. Additionally, the number of life-years and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and

SUBMITTER: Lee H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12568437 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature