[Analysis of the trend of Alzheimer's disease burden in China from 1990 to 2021].

Abstract

To analyze the disease burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in China from 1990 to 2021 and its trend of change, providing evidence for targeted interventions to reduce the burden of AD. A descriptive analysis of AD and its main risk factors among males and females of different ages in China from 1990 to 2021 was conducted using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database. The evaluation indicators were incidence rate, prevalence rate, mortality rate, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The risk factors included high body mass index (BMI), high fasting plasma glucose, and smoking. The results showed that in 2021, the number of AD incidence among the Chinese population was 2 914 112 (204.8/100 000), the number of prevalence was 16 990 827 (1 194.2/100 000), the number of DALYs was 10 072 477 (708.0/100 000), and the number of deaths was 491 773 (34.6/100 000), which increased by 242.7%, 249.1%, 208.2%, and 239.4% respectively compared with 1990. In 2021, the AD incidence rate (264.4/100 000), prevalence rate (1 558.9/100 000), DALYs rate (935.8/100 000), and mortality rate (47.3/100 000) were all higher in women than in men. All rates showed a clear age-dependent trend. In 2021, the DALYs attributable to smoking, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose in the AD population in China were 602 501.1 (42.3/100 000), 466 728.7 (32.8/100 000), and 1 204 039.4 (84.6/100 000), respectively, with death tolls of 24 897.3 (1.7/100 000), 20 856.3 (1.5/100 000), and 58 838.2 (4.1/100 000). The proportion of DALYs attributable to high BMI showed an upward trend during 1990-2021, while the proportion of DALYs attributable to smoking showed a gradual decrease. The difference in the attributable risk factors between the genders was significant. In 2021, the highest risk among men was attributed to smoking, with DALYs rate and mortality rate of 68.3/100 000 and 2.7/100 000, respectively. In contrast, the highest risk among women was attributed to high fasting blood sugar, with DALYs rate and mortality rate of 111.1/100 000 and 5.6/100 000, respectively. In conclusion,the disease burden of AD is still increasing, and targeted interventions should be taken for both males and females to reduce the burden of AD by reducing unhealthy lifestyles.