Wang 2006.

Study characteristics
Methods	Randomised clinical trial
Participants	Country: Taiwan Period of recruitment: 2002–2004 Number randomised: 61 Postrandomisation dropouts: 0 (0.0%) Revised sample size: 61 Mean age (years): 61 Females: 23 (37.7%) Small varices: 39 (63.9%) High risk of bleeding: 61 (100.0%) Other features of decompensation: 1 (1.6%) Alcohol‐related cirrhosis: 11 (18.0%) Viral‐related cirrhosis: 47 (77.0%) Autoimmune disease‐related cirrhosis: not stated Other causes of cirrhosis: 3 (4.9%) Other inclusion criteria: portal hypertension caused by cirrhosis; oesophageal varices of moderate or severe grade, associated with any red colour signs (red wale marking, cherry red spots, haematocystic spots); no history of haemorrhage from oesophageal varices; no current treatment with beta‐blockers or nitrates, diagnosis of cirrhosis was based on liver biopsy or clinical examination, biochemical tests, and imaging studies Other exclusion criteria: aged > 75 years or < 20 years; presence of malignancy, uraemia, or other serious medical illness that could reduce life expectancy; refractory ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, or marked jaundice (serum bilirubin > 10 mg/dL); history of shunt operation, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt, or endoscopic therapy (sclerotherapy or endoscopic variceal ligation); contraindications to beta‐blockers or nitrates, e.g. asthma, chronic obstructive airway disease, diabetes mellitus with documented hypoglycaemic episodes, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg) and bradycardia
Interventions	Group 1: beta‐blockers + nitrates (n = 31) Further details: nadolol to reduce the pulse rate by 25% and isosorbide mononitrate 20 mg once or twice daily Group 2: variceal band ligation (n = 30) Further details: variceal band ligation using multiband ligator repeated at 4‐weekly intervals until obliteration
Outcomes	Mortality at maximal follow‐up, serious adverse events (number of participants), any adverse events (number of participants), variceal bleed at maximal follow‐up (any) (number of participants) Follow‐up (months): 23.3
Notes	Source of funding (quote): "The study was supported by a grant from the Medical Research and Advancement Foundation in Memory of Dr Chi‐Shuen Tsou in Taiwan." Trial name/trial registry number: not stated Attempted to contact the authors in February 2020; received no additional information
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "Randomization was by means of opaque, sealed envelopes numbered according to a table of random numbers."
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "Randomization was by means of opaque, sealed envelopes numbered according to a table of random numbers."
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Comment: information not available
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Comment: information not available
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Comment: no postrandomisation dropouts
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Comment: prepublished protocol not available, but the authors reported mortality, adverse events, and variceal bleed adequately.
Other bias	Low risk	Comment: no other bias noted