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A comprehensive analysis conducted by experts from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle, has revealed a startling reality: neurological conditions have become the leading cause of health loss and disability worldwide, affecting nearly half of the global population.
Published in Lancet Neurology on March 14, 2024, the analysis draws from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, shedding light on the staggering impact of neurological conditions on global health.
According to the report, neurological conditions accounted for 443 million years of healthy life lost in 2021 alone, surpassing cardiovascular diseases as the primary contributor to the global disease burden. A striking 3.4 billion people, representing 43% of the world’s population, were affected by neurological illnesses during the same period.
Lead author Jaimie Steinmetz, PhD, underscored the urgent need for effective and accessible prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care strategies to address this growing crisis. The report emphasizes that neurological health loss is not only increasing but also unevenly distributed geographically and socioeconomically, warranting immediate attention from policymakers and healthcare providers worldwide.
The top 10 contributors to neurological health loss in 2021 include stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications from preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancers. Notably, the neurological consequences of COVID-19 ranked 20th among the assessed conditions, underscoring the multifaceted impact of the ongoing pandemic.
Moreover, the analysis highlights significant regional disparities in the burden of neurological conditions, with over 80% of neurological deaths and health loss occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Central and western sub-Saharan Africa bore the highest burden, while high-income Asia Pacific and Australasia reported the lowest burden.
The study also identifies modifiable risk factors that could potentially prevent a significant portion of neurological conditions. For instance, controlling high blood pressure could prevent 84% of global disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from stroke, while reducing lead exposure could lower intellectual disability cases by 63%.
Co-lead author Katrin Seeher, PhD, emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing modifiable risk factors to curb the global neurological health crisis effectively.
In an accompanying editorial, Wolfgang Grisold, president of the World Federation of Neurology, London, United Kingdom, lauds the study’s comprehensive approach and calls for continued attention to a broader range of neurological conditions in future research.
Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this groundbreaking analysis provides critical insights into the scale and scope of the neurological health crisis, urging concerted efforts to prioritize prevention and improve outcomes for millions worldwide.
