Burden of Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias in Elderly People in Asia: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2019

Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive and damaging brain disease of unknown etiology. The goal of this study is to investigate the burden of AD in Asia in 2019. Materials & Methods: All data sources accessible from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study were used to estimate prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years of the Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well as Alzheimer's disease's attributable risk factors in Asia from 1990 to 2019. We estimated all-cause and cause-specific mortality, Years of Life Lost (YLL5), Years Lived with Disability (YLDs), Disability-Adjusted Life-Years (DALYs) and attributable risks. All estimates were presented as counts and age-standardized rates per 100,000 populations with Uncertainty Intervals (Uls). Results: The highest incidence, prevalence, mortality, burden of disease, YLL and YLD belonged to high-income areas and the lowest to middle-income areas. There is a positive and significant correlation between Human Development Index (HDI) and disease incidence (r=0.319, P<0.05) and the prevalence of the disease (r=0.325, P<0.05). The results revealed a positive and significant correlation between HDI and disease burden (DALY) in women (r=0.325, P<0.05). There is also a positive and significant correlation between HDI and YLD in both sexes (r=0.414, P<0.05). However, no positive and significant correlation was found between HDI and YLL (P>0.05). There incidence of AD in the elderly was positively and significantly related to the mean years of schooling (r=0.428, P<0.05). Also, life expectancy at birth was positively and significantly correlated with the burden of disease (DALY) (r=0.362, P<0.05) and YLL (r=0.317, P<0.05). The results also illustrated a positive and significant correlation between YLD and mean years of schooling (r=0.510, P<0.05) life expectancy at birth (r=0.397, P<0.05) and expected years of schooling (r=0.399, P<0.05). Conclusion: These estimates can be used to guide the elderly care planning and interventions. Hence, policymakers and health care providers need to be informed of these trends to provide appropriate services.