Global, regional and national burden of blindness and vision loss attributable to diabetic retinopathy, 1990–2021: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Abstract Aims Diabetes is increasingly reported as a cause of blindness and vision loss. However, the trends in the burden of blindness and vision loss attributed to diabetic retinopathy (DR) have yet to be fully elucidated. Materials and Methods Utilizing the latest data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, we extracted prevalence and years lived with disability (YLD) data for these conditions, including their respective age‐standardized rate (ASR) indicators. The data were categorized by time, location, age and sociodemographic index (SDI). This study conducted comprehensive analyses over a span of 32 years (1990–2021) to identify trends in blindness and vision loss attributed to DR, employing advanced statistical methods such as estimated annual percentage change (EAPC), health inequity analysis (slope index and concentration index), decomposition analysis, frontier analysis, and predictive modelling using the Bayesian age‐period‐cohort method. Results From 1990 to 2021, the global burden of blindness and vision loss attributed to DR (measured by prevalence and YLD) increased rapidly, and this trend was projected to remain stable until 2046. The age‐standardized prevalence rates (ASPR) and age‐standardized YLD rates (ADYR) in all five SDI regions exhibited an upward trend. Notably, the high and high‐middle SDI regions surpassed global levels, with their EAPC and 95% CI values all greater than 0. In 2021, the prevalence cases, YLD cases, prevalence rates and YLD rates for females across all age groups were generally higher than those for males, and were approximately 1.4 times those of males. Health inequality analysis indicates that over the past 32 years, there have been significant disparities in the distribution of prevalence rates and YLD rates associated with the SDI across 204 countries and regions. Decomposition analysis on a global and cross‐SDI regional scale indicated that ageing, population growth and epidemiological changes had all increased the burden of prevalence and YLD. The frontier analysis showed that high SDI regions had greater potential for improvement. In 2021, compared with the relatively stable trend of type 1 diabetes, the prevalence and YLD rates of blindness and vision loss attributable to type 2 diabetes rapidly increased with age. Conclusions Blindness and vision loss attributed to DR pose significant global health and economic challenges. It is imperative for health system managers to formulate strong strategies to address these growing issues effectively.