Global, regional, and national burdens of rheumatoid arthritis in young adults from 1990 to 2019

Abstract

IntroductionOur aim was to analyze the regional and national levels of the global burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) among young adults (aged 15-49).Material and methodsTo evaluate a nation's level of development, a composite statistic called socio-demographic indexes (SDI) was utilized. We analyzed the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rate related to RA in individuals. Additionally, we estimated the annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for the aforementioned parameters.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2019, there was a positive trend in the ASIR of and age-standardized DALY rate due to RA in young adults. The high-SDI region experienced the highest ASIR and age-standardized DALY rates due to RA, with significant increases in these parameters during the same period (EAPC = 0.46 and 0.41, respectively). The region that witnessed the largest increase in the ASIR of RA in young adults was Andean Latin America (EAPC = 1.48), while Qatar had the highest increase among countries (EAPC = 2.30). Similarly, Andean Latin America recorded the highest increase in the age-standardized DALY rate due to RA (EAPC = 0.98), with Qatar leading the increases among countries (EAPC = 2.01).ConclusionsFrom 1990 to 2019, there was a notable increase in both the age-standardized DALY rates and ASIRs associated with RA in young adults. This positive trend was particularly evident in high-SDI regions. However, it is worth noting that the impact of RA on young adults in low-income areas of Andean Latin America was also substantial. Similarly, a similar scenario was observed in Qatar.