Is cirrhosis of the liver considered the worst way to die?

Not the worst: If you've ever watched "the tudors" or "braveheart, " you'll see that there are worse ways to die. Cirrhosis is no picnic though, especially when complicated by ascites (fluid in the abdomen) and esophageal varices (which can cause massive GI bleeding), hepatic encephalopathy is less unpleasant, as it causes progressive somnolence and eventual coma.