New research published this week to coincide with Brain Awareness Week shows that globally the number of people living with, or dying from, neurological conditions has risen substantially over the past 30 years.
The research was published in the Lancet Neurology journal and represents findings from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021. The total amount of disability, illness and premature death caused by 37 neurological conditions increased by just over 18% from about 375m years of healthy life lost in 1990 to 443m years in 2021.
Researchers said the rise was owing to the growth of the global population and higher life expectancy, as well as increased exposure to environmental, metabolic and lifestyle risk factors such as pollution, obesity and diet respectively.
The lead author on the study noted “As the world’s leading cause of overall disease burden, and with case numbers rising 59 per cent globally since 1990, nervous system conditions must be addressed through effective, culturally acceptable, and affordable prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care strategies.”
Read the Lancet article in full HERE