India, China top Asia-Pacific region in metabolic diseases burden: study, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• A study analyzing data from 1990-2023 reveals that India and China have the highest metabolic disease burden in the Asia-Pacific region.
• In 2023, India had approximately 21 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 5.8 lakh deaths due to Type 2 diabetes.
• High systolic blood pressure in India caused nearly 3.8 crore DALYs and about 15.7 lakh deaths in 2023.
• The study highlights a steady rise in high BMI, LDL cholesterol, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in India.

Detailed Insights:

• The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) data from 1990-2023 forecasts trends up to 2030 for the Asia-Pacific region concerning metabolic diseases.
• The study considered disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and mortality for five common metabolic diseases and risk factors.
• In 2023, India surpassed China in terms of DALYs, leading the list of top 5 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Integrated prevention strategies are needed, including promoting healthier diets by regulating ultra-processed foods and introducing front-of-pack nutrition labelling.
• Redesigning cities and communities to encourage daily activity through safe walking spaces and cycling tracks is crucial.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Metabolic Diseases: Conditions disrupting the normal process of breaking down, storing, or using energy from food.
• Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs): A measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death.
• Body Mass Index (BMI): A measure of body fat based on height and weight.
• Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): Liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction.