This study aims to characterize the global epidemiological burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) among elderly populations from 1990 to 2021. Leveraging data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of PAH-related prevalence, incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) across 204 countries and territories. The sociodemographic index (SDI) was employed to evaluate the association between socioeconomic development and PAH burden in aging populations. The global incidence and mortality of PAH among the elderly population has shown a significant upward trend. In 2021, there were 11,730 incident cases and 14,295 deaths due to PAH in the elderly worldwide. Age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates remained relatively stable, while mortality and DALY rates demonstrated a declining trend. China reported the highest number of incident cases and deaths in 2021. The peak mortality was observed in the 80-84 age group, with mortality rates generally increasing with age and being higher in females compared to males. Furthermore, age-standardized incidence rates exhibited a notable negative correlation with the SDI, decreasing as SDI increased. Our findings provided a novel global perspective on the temporal trends of PAH burden in the elderly population, augmenting the existing evidence and understanding of PAH epidemiology in this demographic. Additionally, these results identify gaps in various aspects of prevention, management, and intervention strategies for PAH in the elderly.
Zhou et al. (Sun,) studied this question.