The Global, Regional, and National Burden of Pancreatitis From 1990 to 2021: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background

This study analyzes temporal trends of pancreatitis from 1990 to 2021 across 21 regions and 204 countries based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database to inform prevention and treatment strategies.

Methods

Incidence, death, prevalence, and DALYs estimates for pancreatitis were derived from the GBD 2021, categorized by age, sex, and geographical location for the period 1990–2021. Mortality estimates were generated using the cause of death ensemble model.

Results

The global age-standardized incidence and deaths of pancreatitis increased 1.59-fold and 1.79-fold from 1990 to 2021, respectively. The percentage change in global age-standardized incidence and death rate were −12.8% (−14.7% to −10.7%) and −14.1% (−24.5% to −1.1%). DALYs increased from 2.58 million in 1990 to 4.10 million in 2021. The incidence rates in 2021 ranged from 16.63 per 100 000 in Tropical Latin America, the lowest globally, to 99.35 per 100 000 in Eastern Europe, the highest. Greenland reported the highest country-specific incidence at 115.21 per 100 000, whereas Mozambique had the lowest at 0.81 per 100 000. The incidence and death rates were higher in males, with ratios of 1.27:1 and 1.94:1, respectively. The main contributors to pancreatitis was alcohol use.

Conclusions

Pancreatitis continues to exhibit a heavy burden on a global scale, particularly in Eastern Europe. Therefore, efficient prevention and control strategies targeting alcohol consumption are imperative in order to alleviate the substantial burden.