Abstract: Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate prevalence and risk factors of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in hepatitis B-induced liver cirrhosis (LC). Methods 60 patients with hepatitis B-induced LC were recruited in our hospital between March 2019 and March 2021, and consecutively followed-up for two years. Third lumbar skeletal muscle index (L3-SMI) was obtained by abdominal CT scan, esophageal varices (EV) was determined by gastroscopy, and HE was diagnosed by West Haven score. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was applied to find risk factors. Results HE was found in 25 cases during the two-year follow-up period; baseline serum bilirubin, INR, EV incidence, hepatorenal syndrome, Child-Pugh score, MELD score and sarcopenia incidence in patients with HE were (35.3±8.5)μmol/L, (1.4±0.5), 68.0%, 72.0%, (15.6±2.3) points, (21.6±2.5)points and 80.0%, all much higher than [(20.6±9.3)μmol/L, (1.2±0.3), 25.7%, 17.1%, (9.2±1.6)points, (15.5±3.2)points and 34.3%, respectively, P＜0.05], while serum albumin level, peripheral blood platelet count and L3-SMI were (29.3±5.6)g/L, (62.3±13.5)×10⁹/L and (43.1±8.9)cm²/m², all much lower than [(33.2±5.9)g/L, (85.2±15.6)×10⁹/L and (46.3±8.5)cm²/m², respectively, P＜0.05] in cirrhotics without HE; multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that PLT(OR=3.442, INR(OR=3.677), EV (OR=3.647, Child-Pugh class (OR=4.191), MELD score (OR=4.614), sarcopenia (OR=4.651) and L3-SMI (OR=4.468) were all the independent risk factors for occurrence of HE in patients with LC (P<0.05). Conclusion Clinicians should take common risk factors of complications, such as HE, into consideration as dealing with patients with LC, which might improve the prognosis.

Key words: Liver cirrhosis, Overt hepatic encephalopathy, Risk factors, Sarcopenia