Background: We aimed to document the current state of exposure to low bone mineral density (BMD) and trends in attributable burdens between 2000 and 2019 globally and in different World Health Organization (WHO) regions using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2019.
Methods: We reviewed the sex-region-specific summary exposure value (SEV) of low BMD and the all-ages numbers and age-standardized rates of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and deaths attributed to low BMD. We compared different WHO regions (Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Europe, Region of the Americas, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific), age categories, and sexes according to the estimates of the GBD 2019 report.
Results: The global age-standardized SEV of low BMD is estimated to be 20.7% in women and 11.3% in men in 2019. Among the WHO regions, Africa had the highest age-standardized SEV of low BMD in women (28.8% (95% uncertainty interval 22.0-36.3)) and men (16.8% (11.5-23.8)). The lowest SEV was observed in Europe in both women (14.7% (9.9-21.0)) and men (8.0% (4.3-13.4)). An improving trend in the global rate of DALY, death, and YLL was observed during 2000-2019 (-5.7%, -4.7%, and -11.9% change, respectively); however, the absolute numbers increased with the highest increase observed in global YLD (70.9%) and death numbers (67.6%). Southeast Asia Region had the highest age-standardized rates of DALY (303.4 (249.2-357.2)), death (10.6 (8.5-12.3)), YLD (133.5 (96.9-177.3)), and YLL (170.0 (139-197.7)).
Conclusions: Overall, the highest-burden attributed to low BMD was observed in the Southeast Asia Region. Knowledge of the SEV of low BMD and the attributed burden can increase the awareness of healthcare decision-makers to adopt appropriate strategies for early screening, and also strategies to prevent falls and fragility fractures and their consequent morbidity and mortality.
Keywords: DALY; GBD; burden; low BMD; osteoporosis.