A new study has revealed that more than half of all people in the United States live with a disease or disorder that affects the brain or nervous system.
This finding comes from a large research project done by the American Academy of Neurology and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Their work was published in the journal JAMA Neurology.
The nervous system controls how we move, think, and feel. It includes the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves in our body. When something goes wrong with the nervous system, it can affect many parts of daily life, from walking and talking to memory and emotions.
The researchers used data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study, which involved more than 17,000 experts from 167 countries. They looked at 36 different medical conditions that affect the nervous system. They found that over 180 million Americans — about 54% of the population — have at least one of these conditions.
This includes conditions that begin early in life, such as ADHD and birth defects, as well as ones that appear later, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The most common problems were tension headaches, which affect 122 million Americans, migraines affecting 58 million, and diabetic nerve damage affecting 17 million.
These nervous system disorders often lead to disability and reduce people’s quality of life. Dr. John Ney from Yale University explained that keeping the brain, spine, and nerves healthy helps people stay active in their jobs, relationships, and everyday lives. He said that improving access to care could help millions of people live better.
When researchers compared the U.S. to the rest of the world, they found that the U.S. had more people with nervous system conditions — 54% compared to 43% globally. This is partly because headaches, especially tension headaches, are very common in the U.S. but don’t always cause severe disability. Still, these conditions affect daily life for many.
Fortunately, the U.S. has done a good job in reducing deaths and long-term damage from many of these conditions. For example, while strokes are more common in the U.S. than in some places, the death rate from stroke is lower.
The study used a special health measure called disability-adjusted life-years, or DALYs. This number shows how much health is lost by counting both early deaths and years lived with disability.
The conditions that caused the most total health loss were stroke (3.9 million DALYs), Alzheimer’s and dementia (3.3 million), diabetic nerve damage (2.2 million), and migraine (2.1 million).
Between 1990 and 2021, the number of deaths from nervous system conditions dropped by 15%. More people are living longer with these problems, which led to a 10% increase in the number of years people live with disability.
Even though it may seem like more people have these conditions now, most of the increase is due to the aging population. As people get older, they become more likely to develop conditions that affect the brain and nerves.
One limitation of the study is that it did not include certain diseases that affect many parts of the body, like HIV, because researchers could not separate out the effects on the nervous system.
In conclusion, this large study highlights that diseases and disorders of the brain and nerves are very common in the United States. It shows the importance of better research, early detection, and access to care. By investing in brain health, more people can live fuller, healthier lives.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about dietary strategies to ward off dementia, and how omega-3 fatty acids fuel your mind.
For more health information, please see recent studies about Choline deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and what to eat (and avoid) for dementia prevention.
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