Changing trends of hospitalisation of liver cirrhosis in Beijing, China

OBJECTIVE: To examine if the hospitalisation trends of liver cirrhosis are changing with the changes of risk factors of the disease in China. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of hospitalisation records in the 31 top-ranking hospitals in Beijing. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2010, hospitalisation from viral hepatitis cirrhosis (VHC) decreased by 10% (95% CI=5–14%, p<0.001), but non-viral hepatitis cirrhosis (NVHC) and alcoholic cirrhosis (AC) increased by 35% (26–46%, p<0.001) and 33% (19%– 47%, p<0.001), respectively. The age patterns of hospitalisation varied with different types of liver cirrhosis. The hospitalisation risks for patients with VHC and AC were significantly high in the age groups 40–49 and 50–59 years, but risks for those with NHVC were high in all age groups of 40 years or above. Overall male-to-female hospitalisation ratios for VHC, NVHC and AC were 2.71, 1.14 and 59.9, respectively. The sex ratio became smaller with time from 2006 to 2010 in hospitalised patients with VHC, but it substantially increased in those with NVHC during the same period. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalisation rates for liver cirrhosis in Beijing are changing with time. The changes of viral hepatitis infection and alcohol consumption in the general population may cause these changes.