PARIS: A major new analysis revealed that conditions affecting the nervous system, such as strokes, migraines, and dementia, have surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of ill health worldwide.
Conducted by hundreds of researchers led by the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), the study found that more than 3.4 billion people, accounting for 43 percent of the global population, experienced a neurological condition in 2021.
Lead study author Jaimie Steinmetz from IHME stated that nervous system conditions have now become “the world’s leading cause of overall disease burden.” The surge in cases, a 59 percent increase over the last three decades, is mainly attributed to the aging and rapid growth of the global population.
The analysis, which looked at 37 different neurological conditions across 204 countries from 1990 to 2021, measured the years of healthy life lost to each condition, known as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). In 2021, more than 443 million years of healthy life were lost globally due to nervous system disorders, marking an 18-percent increase since 1990.
Stroke, previously classified under heart disease, emerged as the worst neurological condition, resulting in the loss of 160 million years of healthy life. Other significant conditions included neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease), nerve damage from diabetes, meningitis, and epilepsy. Cognitive impairment from Covid-19 ranked 20th on the list.
The study also highlighted that the recent World Health Organization classification change, moving stroke into the neurological category, contributed to nervous system conditions surpassing cardiovascular disease. Children accounted for nearly a fifth of all healthy years lost, mainly due to conditions like neonatal encephalopathy, asphyxia, or meningitis.
Although more than 11 million people died from neurological conditions in 2021, cardiovascular disease remained the leading cause of death globally, claiming 19.8 million lives. The analysis emphasized the need for preventive measures, including managing high blood pressure, diabetes, and alcohol consumption.
Researchers called for increased efforts in preventing, treating, and rehabilitating these disorders, particularly in poorer countries, as the neurological burden continues to grow rapidly and strains health systems worldwide.
