Health Crisis: Neurological Disorders on the Rise Worldwide
Neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia have become the leading cause of ill-health globally, according to recent research. These disorders contributed to 11.1 million deaths in 2021 alone, highlighting the urgent need for attention and action in addressing this growing crisis.
A study published in The Lancet reveals that the number of people affected by disorders of the nervous system has dramatically increased over the past three decades. In 2021, 43% of the world’s population, approximately 3.4 billion people, experienced such conditions. The rise can be attributed to several factors including population growth, increased life expectancy, and greater exposure to environmental, metabolic, and lifestyle risk factors like pollution, obesity, and poor diet.
The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors study analyzed 37 neurological conditions and found that disability, illness, and premature death caused by these disorders increased by over 18% from 375 million years of healthy life lost in 1990 to 443 million years in 2021. This alarming trend demands immediate attention and effective preventive measures.
The impact of neurological disorders is not limited to developing countries. In the UK, one in six individuals live with some form of neurological condition, with 2.6 million people affected by traumatic brain injury or stroke. Furthermore, there are over 944,000 people in the UK suffering from dementia, a number projected to surpass a million by 2030.
Among the neurological disorders, stroke was identified as the condition with the greatest burden of disease globally. Other significant contributors included meningitis, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, brain injuries in newborns, nerve damage caused by diabetes, autism, and cancers of the nervous system. Tension headaches and migraines were identified as the most prevalent neurological disorders in 2021.
Interestingly, the study also shed light on neurodevelopmental disorders and their impact on children. These disorders accounted for 80 million years of healthy life lost worldwide in 2021, emphasizing the need for comprehensive care and intervention for young individuals.
The study’s findings also revealed significant health inequalities globally. Around 80% of neurological deaths and health loss occur in low- and middle-income countries. In particular, regions such as western and central sub-Saharan Africa had death rates and years lost to ill-health, disability, or premature death five times higher than the global average. This disparity highlights the urgent need for support and resources in these vulnerable areas.
Preventive measures play a crucial role in reducing the risk of developing neurological conditions. Lowering high systolic blood pressure, which measures arterial pressure during heartbeats, might prevent 84% of illness