Metabolic diseases were more prevalent in countries with high socio-demographic index (SDI); however, mortality for all metabolic diseases was highest in countries with low to middle SDI, Clarissa Fu, MD, explained during a presentation at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2023 in Chicago.

Dr Fu is an assistant professor of medicine in the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at National University of Singapore in Singapore.

“Regardless of SDI, the worldwide prevalence of metabolic diseases has risen over the past two decades,” Dr Fu explained during the NAFLD and NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) session where the authors discussed the epidemiology, natural history, prevention and outcomes of liver diseases and transplantation.

“Urgent attention is necessary to address the unchanging mortality rates attributed to metabolic disease and the regional, socioeconomic, and sex disparities in mortality from metabolic disease,” she said.

Dr Fu et colleagues used estimates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2019, to understand total global burden and relative distribution of metabolic diseases. They obtained estimates for metabolic diseases (type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]), hypertension and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) for prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life year between 2000 and 2019.

In general, prevalence for all metabolic diseases increased significantly in the last 2 decades, Dr Fu remarked. “The numbers are especially high in countries with high SDI.” The mean age-standardized prevalence per 100,000 population in 2019 was the highest for NAFLD (15,023) compared to T2DM (5,282), and hypertension (233).

The highest age-standardized death rates were observed in obesity (62.59), followed by hyperlipidemia (56.51), T2DM (18.49), hypertension (15.16), and NAFLD (2.09). Furthermore, men were at a higher risk than women in all the categories. For instance, death rates were higher in obese men than women (66.55 vs 58.14).

Similar numbers for hyperlipidemia (67.33 men vs 46.50 women); T2DM (19.94 men vs 17.30 women); and NAFLD (2.38 men vs 1,82 women).
 

—Priyam Vora

Reference:
Fu C. Presentation # Sa1567: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the global burden of metabolic diseases: Data from global burden of disease 2000-2019. Digestive Disease Week 2023. Chicago, Illinois.