Comparing Osteoarthritis Burden Across Central, Eastern, and Western Europe (1990-2021): Insights From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background and aim Osteoarthritis ranks as one of the leading causes of disability, predominantly affecting adults aged 70 years and older. This study aimed to report trends in the burden of osteoarthritis from 1990 to 2021 based on the Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBD) 2021 across Central, Eastern, and Western Europe. Methods This study is a systematic analysis of secondary database estimates from the GBD 2021 study for osteoarthritis in Central, Eastern, and Western Europe, as well as the 44 countries. The age-standardized rates of incidence, prevalence, and years of life lost due to disability were evaluated by age, gender, and high body mass index (BMI). Results In 2021, there were 101.2 million (95% uncertainty interval {UI}, 90.4-112.6 million) prevalent cases of osteoarthritis, a 48.3% increase from 1990. Subregional estimates showed that the incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) cases in Western Europe were more than twice the number in Eastern Europe and more than four times the number in Central Europe, and had higher disability rates in young adults than their two other counterparts. Osteoarthritis accounted for approximately 6.7 million (95% UI 4.1-5.2 million) incidents, and there were 3.6 million YLDs (95% UI, 1.7-7.3) in Europe across all age groups. There was a positive association between the rising BMI in individuals under 50 years of age and the age-standardized rates of YLDs. Conclusion Between 1990 and 2021, the prevalence of osteoarthritis across Europe has consistently increased across all age groups, exerting considerable pressure on the workforce as it increasingly affects individuals under 50 years of age. To help reduce this impact, the World Health Organization advocates recognizing high BMI as an independent disease, an approach that would directly address a key contributor to the heightened disability and health complications linked to osteoarthritis.