Objective: To estimate the burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD) stratified by gender, age, geographic location, and social-demographic status for 21 regions across the world from 1990 to 2017.
Methods: Using the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) Results Tool, we extracted data on the incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized rates related to IHD, as IHD burden measures. Trend analyzes were conducted for major regions. Risk factors for DALYs (obtained from the GBD comparative risk assessment framework) were also analyzed.
Results: Globally, 10.6 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 9.6– 11.8) cases of IHD occurred in 2017, with 8.9 million (95%UI:8.8– 9.1) IHD-related deaths. Both the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and death rate (ASDR) declined from 1990 to 2017 (percentage change: 27.4% and 30.0%, respectively), with average annual percent change (AAPC) values of − 1.2% and − 1.3%, respectively. In 2017, the global number of IHD-related DALYs was 170.3 million (95%UI:167.1– 174.0), and the middle socio-demographic index (SDI) quintile contributed the most to these DALYs. In most regions, indicators (incidence, mortality, and DALYs) declined steadily with SDI increased. High systolic blood pressure (SBP) was the most significant contributor to the DALYs in most regions, accounting for 118.18 million DALYs in 2017 globally, followed by high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and a diet low in nuts and seeds (101.78 and 52.86 million, respectively).
Conclusion: Even though the trend in IHD morbidity and mortality decreased globally, the IHD burden remains high, particularly in regions with lower SDI. It is necessary to learn successful and effective experience in controlling IHD risks and decreasing health disparities to reduce the IHD burden.
Keywords: ischemic heart disease, global burden, risk factors, temporal trends, epidemiology