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. 2023 May 23;100(21):e2141-e2154.
doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207218. Epub 2023 Apr 4.

Burden of Common Neurologic Diseases in Asian Countries, 1990-2019: An Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Yue Wang  1 , Jingjing Liang  2 , Yuting Fang  2 , Dongxiao Yao  2 , Lily Zhang  2 , Yanjie Zhou  2 , Yajuan Wang  1 , Luyu Hu  1 , Zuneng Lu  2 , Yilong Wang  1 , Zheman Xiao  1
Affiliations

Burden of Common Neurologic Diseases in Asian Countries, 1990-2019: An Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Yue Wang et al. Neurology. .

Abstract

Background and objectives: Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) study, neurologic disorders are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, there has been no comprehensive assessment of neurologic disorders in Asia. Data from the GBD 1990-2019 study were investigated to provide new details for neurologic disorders in Asia.

Methods: The burden of common neurologic disorders in Asia was calculated for 1990 and 2019 as incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Thirteen common neurologic disorders were analyzed. Data are presented as totals and by sex, age, year, location, risk factors, and sociodemographic index (SDI) and shown as counts and rates.

Results: In 2019, the most burdensome neurologic disorders in Asia for the absolute number of DALYs were stroke (98.8 million, 95% uncertainty interval [UI] 91.0-107.0), migraine (24.6 million, 95% UI 3.4-56.4), and Alzheimer disease (AD) and other dementias (13.5 million, 95% UI 5.9-29.8). From 1990 to 2019, the absolute number of DALYs and deaths caused by combined neurologic disorders (deaths by 60.7% and DALYs by 17.6%) increased, but the age-standardized rates (deaths by 34.1% and DALYs by 36.3%) decreased. The burden of neurologic disorders peaked among individuals aged 65-74 years and was higher among male than among female individuals; moreover, this burden varied considerably across Asian subregions and countries. Risk-attributable DALYs accounted for 86.9%, 28.5%, and 11.1% of DALYs for stroke, AD and other dementias, and multiple sclerosis, respectively. SDI was associated with both stroke and communicable neurological disorders. In terms of crude rate, the higher the SDI value, the higher the prevalence of stroke, and the lower all metrics of communicable neurological disorders.

Discussion: Neurologic disorders were the leading cause of DALYs and the second leading cause of deaths in Asia in 2019, and the burden may likely increase with the growth and aging of the Asian population. Urgent measures are needed for prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and support services for common neurologic disorders regionally and nationally.

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Conflict of interest statement

Yue Wang reports no disclosures relevant to the manuscript. J. Liang was supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (No. 2020CFB226). Y. Fang, D. Yao, L. Zhang, Y. Zhou, Yajuan Wang, L. Hu, and Z. Lu report no disclosures relevant to the manuscript. Yilong Wang was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81825007), the National Natural Science Foundation Beijing Outstanding Young Scientist Program (No. BJJWZYJH01201910025030), Youth Beijing Scholar Program (No.010), Beijing Talent Project-Class A: Innovation and Development (No. 2018A12), “National Ten-Thousand Talent Plan”-Leadership of Scientific and Technological Innovation; and National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2017YFC1307900, 2017YFC1307905). Z. Xiao was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81971055, 81471133, 82101292), the Interdisciplinary Innovative Talents Foundation from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (JCRCYG-2022-006) and Buchang Zhiyuan Public Welfare Projects for Heart and Brain Health (HIGHER2022094). Go to Neurology.org/N for full disclosures.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Asian Burden for Neurologic Disorders by Age Group Including Both Sexes in Asia, 2019
(A) DALYs and (B) age-standardized DALY rates. Early neonatal is 0–7 days; late neonatal is 7–28 days; and postneonatal is 28 days to 1 year. DALY = disability-adjusted life-year.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Asian DALYs for Neurologic Disorders by Sex Group, 2019
DALY = disability-adjusted life-year.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Ranking of Age-Standardized DALY Rates for All Neurologic Disorders by Asian Countries, 2019
AD = Alzheimer disease; DALY = disability-adjusted life-year; MND = motor neuron disease; MS = multiple sclerosis; PD = Parkinson disease; TTH = tension-type headache.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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