Author information
1Immunology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
2Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
3Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore.
4Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
5Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK.
6Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
7Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan.
8Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
9Institute of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
10Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
11Department of Internal Medicine, Boston VA Healthcare System, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
12Faculty of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
13Houston Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA.
14NAFLD Research Center, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
15Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
16Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
17Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Abstract
Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a significant health threat worldwide. The growing trend towards an aging population, along with an alarming rise in obesity and diabetes, may have significant implications for the burden of NAFLD.
Aim: To assess the impact of NAFLD on the elderly.
Methods: We utilised data from the Global Burden of Disease study between 2010 and 2019 to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with NAFLD in the elderly (65-89 years), stratified by region, nation, sociodemographic Index and sex.
Results: Globally, there were an estimated 228 million cases, 87,230 deaths and 1.46 million DALYs attributed to NAFLD in the elderly. Geographically, the Western Pacific region had the highest burden of NAFLD in the elderly. From 2010 to 2019, there was an increasing prevalence rate in all areas, with the most pronounced change observed in the Western Pacific region (annual percentage change (APC) +0.95%, p < 0.001). Over the study period, there was a more rapid increase in NAFLD prevalence in men (APC +0.74%, p < 0.001) than in women (APC +0.63%, p < 0.001). In most regions, death and DALYs rates have declined, with the exception of the Americas, where there was a slight increase (APC +0.25%, p = 0.002 and 0.38%, p < 0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: Over the past decade, the burden of NAFLD in the elderly has been increasing, necessitating immediate and inclusive measures to tackle the rising burden.