Review for 10.1186/s12876-022-02130-2 (2022)

Reviewer’s report
Title: 
The global, regional and national burden of peptic ulcer disease from 1990
to 2019: a population-based study
Version: 
0 
Date: 
02 Oct 2021
Reviewer's report:
General Comments:
The authors have studied " The global, regional, and national burden of peptic
ulcer disease in 204 countries and territories, 1990 to 2019: a population-based
study". A 30-year trend analysis of the prevalence of epidemiological and
sociodemographic of PUD. The study design seems adequate and the collection
of data sufficient to allow publication as a full article. After this revision, the
article will be more clear and readable. The tenses would need a major review.
Specific comments:
Title - The title may stand without the 204 countries and territories. Since the
authors have used global and the 204 can still come up in the methods.
Abstract - The authors' conclusion on risk factors and the cause of increasing
prevalence needs to be reviewed. This study did not test risk factors. You cannot
be categorical about the cause.
Introduction - 
1. References for statements of facts are important.
2. Some statements require rephrasing
Materials and Method -
1. It was not stated whether the authors sought permission before using the data.
Except you are sure this is not important. If you sought permission kindly state it.
2. What is a super-region? How were they classified?
3. No mention of the number of subjects that were in the data used.
Results -
1. Throughout the prose in the result section, the authors kept mentioning the
real values of the groups which were not mentioned in the methods
2. In some areas, the authors didn't tell us the exact period they were referring to
e.g…In recent decades? Which decades exactly? Check the marked texts for a
clearer picture of my point.
3. Some part of the results were discussing findings. Some of these were
repeated in the discussion section. Check the marked part
4. Authors need to be specific with periods, regions, etc they are referring to
Discussion - 
1. This can be improved upon. Not so easy to follow in the current version
2. If authors have not done a fresh study, do not envisage clearly and certainly an
increase in PUD prevalence after 2019 especially when the last year of the
review was 2019
3. The conclusion on the cause of increasing PUD prevalence being NSAIDs - I
am not aware of any result where drugs review. If not let us be cautious in
making inferences that were not tested.
4. Kindly convince your reviewer that you have identified risk factors for the
increasing trend in the prevalence of PUD. It is not clear at the moment how you
were sure of NSAIDs which is a known risk factor for PUD as the cause of the
increasing PUD. You had a running battle choosing between H.pylori and
NSAIDs and the discussion in this regard was confusing.
Summary -
A very sound review of secondary data. It will pass across major information if
well rewritten to stay focused on the trend in the line of sociodemographics and
epidemiology. 
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
of appropriate controls), and are the conclusions supported by the evidence
presented?
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from apparent manipulation?
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