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

Background and objectives Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) study, neurological disorders are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, there has been no comprehensive assessment of neurological disorders in Asia. Data from the GBD 1990-2019 study were investigated to provide new details for neurological disorders in Asia. Methods The burden of common neurological disorders in Asia was calculated for 1990 and 2019 as incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). 13 common neurological disorders were analyzed. Data are presented as totals and by sex, age, year, location, risk factors and socio-demographic index (SDI) and shown as counts and rates. Results In 2019, the most burdensome neurological disorders in Asia with respect to the absolute number of DALYs were stroke (98.8 million [95% UI, 91.0∼107.0]), migraine (24.6 million [95% UI, 3.4∼56.4]), Alzheimer's 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 neurological disorders (deaths by 60.7% and DALYs by 17.6%) increased, but the age-standardised rates (deaths by 34.1% and DALYs by 36.3%) decreased. The burden of neurological disorders peaked among individuals aged 65-74 years and was higher among males than among females; 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 (MS), respectively. For communicable neurological disorders, the crude rates of all metrics were moderately to strongly negatively correlated with the SDI, while the crude rate of stroke prevalence was moderately positively correlated with the SDI. Conclusion Neurological 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 neurological disorders regionally and nationally.