Work

Global burden and geospatial drivers of sensory impairment with sense organ disease projections to 2050

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Sense organ diseases represent the leading causes of years lived with disability. Despite its major impact, a comprehensive understanding of sense organ diseases burden remains limited. Based on the data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 and nighttime light exposure data from remote-sensing satellites, we did secondary analysis and described the epidemiological characteristics of sense organ diseases globally and nationally. The relationship between the specific causes of blindness and vision loss and nighttime light exposure was further explored. We assessed the trends, causes and cross-country inequalities related to sense organ diseases and forecasted the burden of disease until 2050. Here we show that in 2021, there are more than 2 billion prevalent cases and more than 77 million years lived with disability cases of sense organ diseases globally. Both age-related macular degeneration and near vision loss show positive correlations with nighttime light exposure. The global burden of sense organ diseases continues to rise from 1990 to 2021, primarily driven by population growth and ageing. Health inequalities exist between different countries and increase over time. Projections of years lived with disability for sense organ diseases from 2022 to 2050 show that although the age-standardized rate remains stable, the number increases significantly. Over the past 32 years, the global burden of sense organ diseases has increased, and cross-country inequalities have intensified due to the trends of population growth and aging. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to formulate more targeted and effective prevention and management strategies. Sense organ diseases (SODs: vision, hearing and other sensory losses) causes the most years lived with disability (YLDs: time spent in poor health). Despite its major impact, a comprehensive understanding of SODs burden remains limited. We assessed the trends, causes and cross-country inequalities related to SODs and forecasted the burden of disease until 2050 based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 and nighttime light exposure (NLE) from remote-sensing satellites. Both age-related macular degeneration and near-vision loss were positively correlated with NLE. From 1990 to 2021, the global burden of SODs rose, mainly owing to population growth and aging, with increasing health inequalities among countries. By 2050, the YLDs due to SODs will increase. Targeted strategies are essential to mitigate this growing disability burden. Ma, Zan, Li et al. assess the global burden of sense organ diseases from 1990-2021 using Global Burden of Disease data from 204 countries. Results reveal increasing global burden of sensory organ diseases linked to aging populations and nighttime light exposure, with YLDs projected to rise by 2050, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.

Source: Communications Medicine

DOI: 10.1038/s43856-025-01259-x