Características epidemiológicas de la cirrosis hepática en Ecuador durante el periodo de 2012-2022

Abstract

Introduction: Liver cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver damage that leads to progressive fibrosis and complications such as portal hypertension. It is a disease with high morbidity and mortality rates, ranking as the fourteenth leading cause of death worldwide and the seventh in Ecuador. Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of liver cirrhosis in Ecuador from 2012 to 2022. Methods: An observational, retrospective, and cross-sectional study with an analytical component was conducted. All cases recorded in the hospital discharge database from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC, by its Spanish acronym) were included, totaling 31,177 individuals. Results: The prevalence was higher in men (54.2%), in the 19–64 age group (50.8%), and among individuals of mestizo ethnicity (66.9%). Most cases originated in urban areas (88.1%), mainly in coastal provinces such as Manabí and El Oro. Mortality peaked in 2016 and subsequently declined. A significant association was found among mortality and variables such as sex, age, ethnicity, and hospitalization (p = 0.000). Alcoholic cirrhosis predominated among men (79.9%) over 65 years of age, who were more likely to die than patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Conclusions: Liver cirrhosis in Ecuador mainly affected mestizo men between 19 and 64 years of age. The peak mortality rate was recorded in 2016. The alcoholic form shows a higher predisposition to mortality and is associated with more extended hospitalizations. Keywords: liver cirrhosis, epidemiological characteristics, hepatic fibrosis, portal hypertension