Global burden and cross-country inequalities in autoimmune diseases from 1990 to 2019

To describe burden, and to explore cross-country inequalities across sociodemographic development levels for four autoimmune diseases (ADs) including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis (PS).

The estimates and their 95% uncertainty interval (UI) for disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of RA, IBD, MS and PS were extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) across 204 countries, as well as age and sex distribution of global DALYs rate of these four ADs were illustrated. Slope index of inequality and concentration index, which are two standard metrics of absolute and relative gradient inequality recommended by World Health Organization (WHO), were utilized to quantify the distributive inequalities in the burden of ADs.

In 2019, the ASDR of RA, IBD, MS and PS varied remarkably across 204 countries, with different age and sex distribution of global DALYs rate. The slope index of inequality changed from 26.7 (95% CI: 20.7 to 32.8) in 1990 to 40.3 (95% CI: 31.9 to 48.7) in 2019 for RA, from 17.1 (95% CI: 12.4 to 21.7) in 1990 to 25.2 (95% CI: 20.1 to 30.2) in 2019 for IBD, from 19.3 (95% CI: 15.2 to 23.4) in 1990 to 28.9 (95% CI: 24.2 to 33.5) in 2019 for MS, from 42.3 (95% CI: 33.1 to 51.6) in 1990 to 40.2 (95% CI: 32.5 to 48.0) in 2019 for PS. Moreover, the concentration index showed 20.4 (95% CI: 18.9 to 22.0) in 1990 and 18.2 (95% CI: 16.7 to 19.6) in 2019 for RA, 25.0 (95% CI: 23.0 to 27.1) in 1990 and 33.5 (95% CI: 31.6 to 35.5) in 2019 for IBD, 46.7 (95% CI: 44.0 to 49.3) in 1990 and 41.8 (95% CI: 39.6 to 44.1) in 2019 for MS, 31.7 (95% CI: 29.0 to 34.4) in 1990 and 32.6 (95% CI: 29.9 to 35.2) in 2019 for PS.

There is a strong heterogeneity in ASDR across all countries, as well as in age and sex distribution of global DALYs rate for four ADs including RA, IBD, MS and PS. Countries with higher sociodemographic development levels shouldered disproportionately higher burden of ADs, and the magnitude of this sociodemographic development level-related inequalities exacerbated over time.