A recent study by the Lancet Neurology Journal revealed a remarkable fact: diseases affecting the nervous system such as stroke, migraine and dementia have now surpassed heart disease as The disease has the most people worldwide.

According to this study, by 2021, more than 3.4 billion people, equivalent to 43% of the world’s population, will suffer from neurological diseases.

Neurological conditions and alarming increases

According to research results, this increase is a serious warning about the global health situation.

Neurological diseases are currently the leading cause of disease burden, disability and premature death.

Research shows that the number of cases of neurological diseases has increased by 59% in the past three decades, with the main cause being the increasing proportion of elderly people and the rapid growth of the world population.

Scientists in this study looked at 37 different neurological conditions and assessed their impact on health, disability and premature death in 204 countries and territories from 1990-2021.

The data collected helps estimate the number of years of healthy life lost due to neurological diseases, through the “disability-attributable change in life expectancy” index (DALYs).

Common neurological diseases and serious consequences

Among neurological diseases, stroke is the most serious, causing people to lose 160 million years of healthy life.

Other diseases such as neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease), nerve damage due to diabetes, meningitis and epilepsy also account for a large proportion.

It is worth noting that cognitive decline due to Covid-19, although only ranked 20th, also reflects the impact of the pandemic on brain health.

While deaths from neurological diseases will reach more than 11 million in 2021, research also shows that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death, with 19.8 million deaths in 2022. However, the incidence of neurological diseases is increasing rapidly and there are no signs of death. Timely interventions will create a huge burden on the global health system.

Risk factors and preventive measures

One of the most common neurological disorders is tension headaches and migraines.

Although there is currently no cure for many neurological diseases, researchers confirm that there are many measures to reduce the risk of developing these diseases.

Researchers warn that the burden of neurological disease will continue to rise sharply in the coming decades, putting increasing pressure on health systems, especially in poor countries where health care resources are scarce. still limited.

Therefore, countries should take more effective measures to prevent, treat and rehabilitate neurological diseases, and increase support for vulnerable groups.

The findings of this study are a global wake-up call to the continued rise in neurological diseases.