A recent global study has revealed an increasing burden of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases (MNDs) worldwide. Researchers used data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database, covering 204 regions from 1990 to 2021, to examine trends in incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years related to these conditions.
The analysis reported age-standardized incidence rates for each decade from the 1990s through the 2020s. Findings indicate that ALS and MNDs are significant causes of death globally, but the extent of their impact has been unclear until now.
The study identified considerable regional differences in the prevalence of ALS/MNDs and noted that social development levels play a role in these variations. According to the data, China and the United States had the highest prevalence rates among G8 countries and China throughout all decades studied. In the 2020s, China reported a rate of 3.3 per 10,000 people while the United States reached 4.0 per 10,000.
Researchers also found a substantial overlap between ALS and other neurological diseases. The report states: "A significant overlap of etiology between neurological diseases and ALS was also identified." This overlap could help guide future research into understanding how these diseases develop.
The study concluded by calling for greater research efforts into neurological diseases, improved allocation of medical resources, and strategies to address what it described as an "increasingly heavy burden" posed by these disorders. As stated in the report: "In the coming period, research efforts on neurological diseases need to be strengthened further, medical resources optimized, and the increasingly heavy burden of neurological diseases effectively addressed."
