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Etiological Spectrum of Cirrhosis in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

S. Swaroop, Manas Vaishnav, U. Arora, Sagnik Biswas, Arnav Aggarwal, Soumya Sarkar, P. Khanna, A. Elhence et al.

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, 2023

147 participants · 34 citations

Abstract

Background

Cirrhosis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally and in India. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to ascertain the etiological spectrum and changing trends of cirrhosis in India.

Methods

We searched electronic databases, including Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, and Embase. We included original studies that reported the etiology of cirrhosis in the Indian population.

Results

We included 158 studies (adults: 147, children: 11). The overall pooled estimate of alcohol as a cause of cirrhosis in adults was 43.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 39.8-46.6%; I2 = 97.8%), followed by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/cryptogenic in 14.4%, 95% CI (11.7-17.3%; I2 = 98.4%), hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 11.5%, 95% CI (9.8-13.3%; I2 = 96.6%), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 6.2%, 95% CI (4.8-7.8%; I2 = 97.2%) of the included patients. The most common cause of cirrhosis in all zones was alcohol-related. Comparison of etiologies over time revealed a reduction in the viral hepatitis-related and an increase in the proportion of alcohol-related and NAFLD/cryptogenic-related cirrhosis. The overall pooled estimates of various etiologies in children were: HBV in 10.7%, 95% CI (4.6-18.7%; I2 = 91.0%), NAFLD/Cryptogenic in 22.3%, 95% CI (9.0-39.2%; I2 = 96.7%), and HCV in 2.0%, 95% CI (0.0-8.5%; I2 = 94.6%).

Conclusions

Alcohol is the most common etiology of cirrhosis in adults in India. The proportions of alcohol and NAFLD-related cirrhosis are increasing, and…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 147 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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