Conditions affecting the nervous system, such as strokes, migraines, and dementia, have surged past heart disease to become the leading cause of ill health worldwide, according to a study carried out by hundreds of researchers led by US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which has become a global reference for health statistics.
More than 3.4 billion people, or 43 percent of the global population, experienced a neurological condition in 2021, far more than had been previously thought, the analysis found.
Lead study author Jaimie Steinmetz of the IHME said the results showed that nervous system conditions are now the “world’s leading cause of overall disease burden.”
Cases of these conditions have soared by 59 percent in the last three decades, she said, with the increase mainly driven by the fact that the world’s population was aging and growing fast.
More than 11 million people died from the 37 neurological conditions in 2021, according to the study in The Lancet Neurology journal. However, cardiovascular disease remained the leading cause of death, killing 19.8 million worldwide in 2022, the IHME said last year.
The most common neurological disorders were tension headaches and migraines. The quickest-growing condition was nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy from soaring cases of diabetes. Most of these conditions have no cure.
However, there are ways to lessen the risk, including reducing rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, and alcohol consumption, the researchers said.
They also called for much more to be done to prevent, treat, and rehabilitate the disorders, which disproportionately affect poorer countries. “The worldwide neurological burden is growing very fast and will put even more pressure on health systems in the coming decades,” warned study coauthor Valery Feigin.
As the neurological burden grows, so must our responses to the problem. While most may have no cure, education and awareness can still go a long way to reduce its impact on vulnerable populations whose lives can be affected negatively by such diseases. This is something our Department of Health, in coordination with the private sector, should address as it continues to catch up with cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death.*
