Background Anemia is a common condition that affects both male and female individuals of all ages worldwide; however, comprehensive data on the burden of anemia and its trends over time in the United States (US) are scarce. The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019 published global age-standardized point prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019. In this study, we analyzed the GBD 2019 data to explore the factors contributing to the burden of anemia in the US. Methods In this secondary analysis of the GBD 2019 data, we extracted point estimates and 95% uncertainty intervals of DALYs to describe the health loss due to anemia in the US between 1990 and 2019. We categorized DALYs based on demographic characteristics and attributed them to anemia-causing conditions, such as dietary iron deficiency (DID), diabetes, kidney diseases, digestive diseases, and obstetric or gynecological conditions. Findings From 1990 to 2019, anemia-related DALYs increased from 332,449 to 418,855 in the US; more than half of the DALYs were due to DID. The rates of DALYs per 100,000 people declined steadily from 1990 until the early 2000s, after which it began to increase steadily. Notably, the rates of DALYs were higher in female individuals than in male individuals for anemia due to DID, diabetes and kidney diseases, and digestive diseases up to the age of 80. There were significant variations in the health burden of anemia across different states, with the highest rates observed in Mississippi, the District of Columbia, and Alabama. Conclusion These data on the burden of anemia—measured in years of health lost—and its upward trend over time in the US highlight the need for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of anemia to guarantee health access for all.
Michelle Shwarz (Fri,) studied this question.