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Comparative Study
. 2018 Jun;38(6):234-243.
doi: 10.24095/hpcdp.38.6.03.

Canadian trends in opioid-related mortality and disability from opioid use disorder from 1990 to 2014 through the lens of the Global Burden of Disease Study

[Article in English, French]
Heather M Orpana #  1   2 , Justin J Lang #  1 , Maulik Baxi  3 , Jessica Halverson  1 , Nicole Kozloff  4   5 , Leah Cahill  6   7   8 , Samiah Alam  6 , Scott Patten  9 , Howard Morrison  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Canadian trends in opioid-related mortality and disability from opioid use disorder from 1990 to 2014 through the lens of the Global Burden of Disease Study

[Article in English, French]
Heather M Orpana et al. Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction:: Several regions in Canada have recently experienced sharp increases in opioid overdoses and related hospitalizations and deaths. This paper describes opioidrelated mortality and disability from opioid use disorder in Canada from 1990 to 2014 using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.

Methods:: We used data from the GBD study to describe temporal trends (1990–2014) in opioid-related mortality and disability from opioid use disorder using common metrics: disability-adjusted life years (DALY), deaths, years of life lost (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD). We also compared age-standardized YLL and DALY rates per 100 000 population between Canada, the USA and other regions.

Results:: The age-standardized opioid-related DALY rate in Canada was 355.5 per 100 000 population in 2014, which was higher than the global rate of 193.2, but lower than the rate of 767.9 in the United States. Between 1990 and 2014, the age-standardized opioid-related YLL rate in Canada increased by 142.2%, while globally this rate decreased by 10.1%. In comparison with YLL, YLD accounted for a larger proportion of the overall opioid-related burden across all age groups. Health loss was greater for males than females, and highest among those aged 25 to 29 years.

Conclusion:: The health burden associated with opioid-related mortality and disability from opioid use disorder in Canada is significant and has increased dramatically from 1990 to 2014. These data point to a need for public health action including enhanced monitoring of a range of opioid-related harms.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Disability-adjusted life year rate per 100 000 population for opioid-related mortality and disability from opioid use disorder, both sexes combined, 2014, by country
Figure 2
Figure 2. (a) Age-standardized opioid-related mortality rates per 100 000 population, males and females, 1990–2014, global and Canada; (b) crude mortality counts, modelled Global Burden of Disease and Vital Statistics data, males and females, 1990–2014, Canada; and (c) age-standardized YLL and YLD rates, males and females, 1990–2014, Canada
Figure 3
Figure 3. Age-specific DALY (a) rates and (b) counts, comprising YLLs and YLDs, males and females, 2014, Canada
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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