Global, regional, and national burdens of rheumatoid arthritis in young adults from 1990 to 2019

Introduction Our aim was to analyze the regional and national levels of the global burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) among young adults (aged 15–49) in order to identify long-term trends. Material and methods The data for this study were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019, which assessed 369 diseases and injuries as well as 87 risk factors in 204 countries and 21 regions. To evaluate a nation’s level of development, a composite statistic called the socio-demographic index (SDI) was utilized. We analyzed the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) related to RA in individuals in young adults. Additionally, we estimated the annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for the aforementioned parameters. Results From 1990 to 2019, there was a positive trend in the ASIR of and age-standardized DALY rate due to RA in young adults. The high-SDI region experienced the highest ASIR and age-standardized DALY rates due to RA, with significant increases in these parameters during the same period (EAPC = 0.46 and 0.41, respectively). The region that witnessed the largest increase in the ASIR of RA in young adults was Andean Latin America (EAPC = 1.48), while Qatar had the largest increase among countries (EAPC = 2.30). Similarly, Andean Latin America recorded the largest increase in the age-standardized DALY rate due to RA (EAPC = 0.98), with Qatar having the largest increase among countries (EAPC = 2.01). Conclusions From 1990 to 2019, there was a notable increase in both the age-standardized DALY rates and ASIRs associated with RA in young adults. This positive trend was particularly evident in high-SDI regions. However, it is worth noting that the impact of RA on young adults in low-income areas of Andean Latin America was also substantial.