Mapping the incidence of drug‐induced liver injury: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) is an increasing etiology of liver dysfunction, with various incidence worldwide. To better understand the disease burden and establish appropriate preventive and treatment strategies, a systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies on the incidence of DILI published up to June 1, 2022. According to the predefined criteria, only population‐based studies were included. Incidence was presented as cases per 100 000 person‐years with 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random‐effects model. Results: A total of 14 studies were included. The overall incidence of DILI was 4.94 per 100 000 person‐years (95% CI 4.05–5.83). Time‐based cumulative meta‐analysis suggested that the incidence of DILI increased over time since 2010. The incidence varied by regions, with Asia having the highest incidence of 17.82 per 100 000 person‐years (95% CI 6.26–29.38), while North America having the lowest incidence of 1.72 per 100 000 person‐years (95% CI 0.48–2.95). All studies reported a higher incidence of DILI in the elderly but comparable incidences between male and female (3.42 per 100 000 person‐years vs 4.64 per 100 000 person‐years). Conclusions: The global incidence of DILI has been increasing since 2010, with the highest incidence in Asia. Understanding the epidemiological characteristics of DILI helps establish specific strategies to deal with this emerging health problems.