Global, regional, and national burden of asthma from 1990 to 2021: analysis of data from global disease burden in 2021

BACKGROUND: Asthma is one of the diseases that pose a serious threat to human health globally. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study from 1990 to 2021 conducted a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence, incidence, mortality, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) of asthma. This study particularly focuses on the integration of prevalence data with other indicators and carries out stratified analyses at the global, regional, and national levels based on gender, age, and Socio-Demographic Index (SDI). METHODS: The data for this study is drawn from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, which provides comprehensive data on diseases, injuries, and risk factors. This study aims to explore the temporal trends of asthma and assess the dynamics of age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPR), incidence rates (ASIR), death rates (ASDR), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for asthma, with the goal achieved by estimating the annual percentage change (EAPC) over the study period. The study conducted a detailed stratification based on gender, 20 age groups, 21 GBD regions, 204 countries and territories, and 5 SDI quintiles. RESULTS: In 2021, asthma continued to impose a substantial burden on the global health landscape, with a total of 260479186.9 (227209547.5-297967236.9) cases and an ASPR of 3340.1 (2905.2-3832.2 per 100,000 people. The ASIR was 37864175.4 (31381241-46919993.7), translating to 516.7 (425.4-646.1) per 100,000 people. In 2021, the number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributed to asthma was 21422859.9 (16956877.7-26887091.7), and the ASDR was 264.6 (208.3-333.4) per 100,000 people. Analyzing regional disparities, it was observed that High SDI regions had the highest ASPR, and ASIR, while Low SDI regions had the lowest ASDR and Age-standardized DALY rates. Geographically, Kazakstan and Pakistan stood out with the high ASPR, and Papua New Guinea stood out with the highest ASDR, and Age-standardized DALY rates. Asthma primarily affects minors, with no significant difference between males and females. High BMI has emerged as the most important risk factor for asthma-related DALYs globally. CONCLUSION: This pattern indicates a complex relationship between socio-economic development and health outcomes. Regions with higher Socio-Demographic Index (SDI), which typically represent more developed areas, tend to have a higher prevalence of asthma but lower mortality rates and disease burden. These patterns highlight the necessity for low-income regions to learn from the targeted public health measures of high-income areas in developing asthma management plans, in order to address the inequalities in asthma outcomes.