On April 18th, 2024, Guimarães and colleagues published findings from a retrospective cohort focusing on major liver pathologies in Brazil, presenting valuable insights into the epidemiology and public health impacts of these conditions.1Guimarães J.S.F. Mesquita J.A. Kimura T.Y. Oliveira A.L.M. Leite M.F. Oliveira A.G. Burden of liver disease in Brazil, 1996–2022: a retrospective descriptive study of the epidemiology and impact on public healthcare.Lancet Reg Health Am. 2024; 0https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2024.100731Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (0) Google Scholar However, we wish to respectfully address a point in the "Research in Context" analysis (which should include a description of all of the evidence the authors considered before undertaking this study): the authors accidentally stated that no other studies investigating the burden of liver diseases in Brazil had been published. Based on a systematic search conducted on April 20th, 2024, several studies on this same topic had been released in the body of literature.2Nader L.A. de Mattos A.A. Bastos G.A.N. Burden of liver disease in Brazil.Liver Int. 2014; 34: 844-849Crossref PubMed Scopus (36) Google Scholar, 3Melo A.P.S. França E.B. Malta D.C. Garcia L.P. Mooney M. Naghavi M. Mortality due to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and disorders attributed to alcohol use: global burden of disease in Brazil, 1990 and 2015.Rev Bras Epidemiol. 2017; 20Suppl 01: 61-74Crossref Scopus (13) Google Scholar, 4de Carvalho J.R. Villela-Nogueira C.A. Perez R.M. et al.Burden of chronic viral hepatitis and liver cirrhosis in Brazil - the Brazilian global burden of disease study.Ann Hepatol. 2017; 16: 893-900Crossref Scopus (14) Google Scholar As prolific investigators in Evidence-based Medicine, we respectfully call attention to and raise concerns in this regard. We strongly advocate for rigorous systematic searches that follow a standard protocol for quality and reproducibility purposes. Primarily, an adequate search strategy, developed in collaboration with information specialists, using exhaustive controlled and non-controlled terminology, must be ascertained to avoid identification omission of any relevant records and instead ensure more comprehensive results.5Harris M.R. The librarian's roles in the systematic review process: a case study.J Med Libr Assoc. 2005; 93: 81-87PubMed Google Scholar Likewise, wide coverage of leading databases is critical, including the consideration of regional scientific sources that will potentially yield a comprehensive coverage of primary studies. For instance, considering the South American scenario that the authors analyzed, searching the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) database would prompt the retrieval of important studies.6Perazzo H. Pacheco A.G. De Boni R. et al.Age-standardized mortality rates related to cirrhosis in Brazil from 2000 to 2012: a nationwide analysis.Ann Hepatol. 2017; 16: 269-278Crossref PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar These fundamental methodological approaches and practices facilitate a tailored assessment for the synthesis of the existing literature in order to collate representative manuscripts. Therefore, by instituting a high-quality, robust work-ethic in research delivery, principles of Evidence-Based Medicine should be strictly adhered by researchers worldwide, therefore avoiding the duplication of research initiatives and inappropriate statements in scientific manuscripts for the benefit of the scientific community and to ameliorate patient care. IJBN, GD, and ABP conceived the idea of writing this correspondence. IJBN performed a primary systematic search on PubMed and LILACS and reported in the reference section some of the findings. The search was carried out on April 20th, 2024 (08:00 am GMT +3) using controlled medical terminologies (Medical Subject Headings [MeSH]) and is fully accessible upon request to the corresponding author (IJBN). Due to limited space in the original submission, we were unable to report all records identified. Nevertheless, we hereby declare that we remain available for sharing the list of identified studies at any time to The Lancet Regional Health America's average reader. GD and ABP reassessed and validated the content initially found by IJBN for quality purposes. All authors edited and substantively reviewed the publication. All authors had full access to all the data in the study. All authors approved the final version of the publication. All authors had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication. All authors agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work could be appropriately investigated and resolved. The authors have no interests to declare. Funding source: The authors have no competing interests to declare. IJBN and ABP are active Cochrane members, supporting several Cochrane Offices (Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Sweden, and Cochrane Central). Most fundamentals mentioned in this correspondence are endorsed by the Cochrane Collaboration and its derived documents. As part of the Cochrane Community, the authors emphasize the relevance and pioneering of Cochrane Collaboration within the field of Evidence-based Medicine. General statement: The authors herein declare no potential conflict of interest relevant to this letter. The author affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) are alone responsible for the views expressed in this publication and they do not necessarily represent the decisions or policies of the WHO/PAHO. Burden of liver disease in Brazil, 1996–2022: a retrospective descriptive study of the epidemiology and impact on public healthcareLiver disease in Brazil is a serious issue for the public health system due to the high number of deaths and increasing mortality rate. Our study contributes as a necessary prerequisite for the development of tailored public health policies aimed at mitigating the increasing burden of liver diseases in specific populations and regions. Full-Text PDF Open Access