The most prevalent neurological disorders in 2021 were tension-type headaches (around 2 billion cases) and migraines (about 1.1 billion cases). Diabetic neuropathy is the fastest-growing of all neurological conditions, the researchers said.“The number of people with diabetic neuropathy has more than tripled globally since 1990, rising to 206 million in 2021,” said study co-senior author Liane Ong from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, US.”This is in line with the increase in the global prevalence of diabetes,” Ong said in a statement.The research builds on previous Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study to provide the largest and most comprehensive analysis to compare the prevalence and burden of nervous system disorders between countries on a global scale between 1990 and 2021.”Every country now has estimates of their neurological burden based on the best available evidence,” said lead author Dr Jaimie Steinmetz from IHME.“As the world’s leading cause of overall disease burden, and with case numbers rising 59 per cent globally since 1990, nervous system conditions must be addressed through effective, culturally acceptable, and affordable prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care strategies,” Steinmetz said.Over 80 per cent of neurological deaths and health loss occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the researchers said.Overall, estimates reveal striking differences in nervous system burden between world regions and national income levels, they said.The study shows that in high-income Asia Pacific and Australasia – regions with the best neurological health – the rate of DALYs and deaths were under 3,000 and 65 per 100,000 people, respectively in 2021.In these regions, stroke, migraine, dementia, diabetic neuropathy, and autism spectrum disorders accounted for most health loss, it found.In the worst-off regions of western and central sub-Saharan Africa, the rate of DALYs and deaths were up to five times higher (over 7,000 and 198 per lakh people respectively) in 2021, with stroke, neonatal encephalopathy (brain injury), dementia, and meningitis the biggest contributors to years of healthy life lost.”Nervous system health loss disproportionately impacts many of the poorest countries partly due to the higher prevalence of conditions affecting neonates and children under 5, especially birth-related complications and infections,” said Tarun Dua, Unit Head of WHO’s Brain Health unit and one of the co-senior authors of the study.“Improved infant survival has led to an increase in long-term disability, while limited access to treatment and rehabilitation services is contributing to the much higher proportion of deaths in these countries,” Dua said.The researchers highlight that, as of 2017, only a quarter of countries globally had a separate budget for neurological conditions, and only around half had clinical guidelines.
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