News: Ischemic CVD remains leading cause of death, chronic diseases rising, global trends show
According to a recent study published in The Lancet examining global trends, mortality rates for most major causes have declined since 1990, with the global age-standardized mortality rate declining 30.5% (from 1009 per 100,000 in 2000 to 701.5 per 100,000 in 2023). Stroke mortality fell from 161.4 to 99.8 deaths per 100,000 individuals, while diabetes, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias, and HIV/AIDS showed increased mortality over the same period, Medscape Medical News reported.
The study was conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Seattle in collaboration with 19,000 researchers across 204 countries, evaluating 375 diseases and injuries and 88 modifiable risk factors.
The data showed the global life expectancy has increased to 76.3 years for women and 71.5 years for men. Infectious disease mortality has declined, with lower respiratory infections as the only infectious condition among the top 10 causes of death in 2023. In comparison with 1990, diarrhea fell from third place to 13th place and tuberculosis from seventh place to 15th place. Vaccine-preventable diseases showed a 66.5% reduction in the number of lives lost.
Besides in 2021 when COVID ranked first, ischemic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke remain the leading causes of death worldwide, consistent with trends since 1990. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ranks third, followed by lower respiratory infections, neonatal disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, lung cancer, and diabetes.
In North America, the data shows that mortality rates among individuals aged 30-39 years have increased by 50% since 2011. This increase is attributed to deaths from suicide, substance use, and alcohol-related causes, which disproportionately affect rural, minority, and lower-income populations.
Editor’s note: To read Medscape Medical News’ coverage of this story, click here. To access the full study, click here.