Neurological conditions are now top global health issue, says Lancet Study
New Delhi: Neurological conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are now the leading cause of ill health and disability globally, affecting 3.4 billion people in 2021, according to a major new analysis published in The Lancet Neurology journal.
In the past three decades, the prevalence of neurological conditions like stroke, Alzheimer’s, and meningitis has surged globally due to population growth, aging, and heightened exposure to environmental and lifestyle risks.
The top 10 contributors to neurological health loss in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy (brain injury), migraine, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications from preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancers, the researchers said.
Neurological consequences of COVID-19 (cognitive impairment and Guillain-Barre syndrome) ranked 20th, accounting for 2.48 million years of healthy life lost in 2021, they said.
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.“Every country now has estimates of their neurological burden based on the best available evidence,” said study 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.
