We recently read the article by Roesch-Dietlen et al.1 that detailed the factors that influence the development of cirrhosis of the liver, and we believe that certain points deserve to be mentioned.
We noted there is a difference between the number of samples included and those utilized (179 and 182)1 in the study, which could cause confusion at the time of analysis, and thus, should be revised.
In addition, the Pearson coefficient obtained by the authors (0.089) for the B virus, C virus, and educational level variables1 indicates there is no correlation, but the data utilized indicate the opposite.
Income is one of the variables analyzed by Roesch et al.1, referring only to patients with no income, which is not a correct categorization. We believe an income range classification (for example, number of times the minimum wage) would have been more adequate, such as that used in the study by Delfrade et al.2, which showed that incidence and mortality rates of alcoholic cirrhosis were higher, the lower the income level.
According to the article, the largest percentage of the population analyzed were men (57.1%) and single individuals (67.6%), and the predominant occupation was housewife, followed by retiree1, raising the question: what is the difference between housewife (35.2%) and unemployed (2.2%), if the study population is predominantly male and single?
A study conducted in Paraguay3 coincides with the final result of the present study, stating that the predominant sex of the population was male and the main etiology of cirrhosis was chronic alcohol consumption. Diversely, in a study carried out in Colombia, the predominant sex of the population was female and the main cause of cirrhosis was hepatitis C, followed by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with alcohol as the fifth cause4. In addition, a study conducted in Peru found that male sex was predominant and the main cause of cirrhosis was nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), followed by chronic alcohol consumption5. Those data clearly show the influence of social and cultural factors on the development of cirrhosis.
Therefore, we believe that categorizing the variables and adequately using the statistical tools would make it possible to give the results their due importance, enrich the discussion, and arrive at more accurate conclusions.
AuthorshipThe final version of the article was approved by all the authors and they equally participated in the research and/or preparation of the article.
Financial disclosureNo financial support was received in relation to this article.
Conflict of interestThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Please cite this article as: Ávalos-Quispe A, Madrid-Castro JA, Llanco-Albornoz L. Variables significantes en la etiología de la cirrosis hepatica. Revista de Gastroenterología de México. 2022;87:129–130.