Assessing the burden and trends of pancreatitis in India from 1990-2021: An analysis of the global burden of disease database.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Pancreatitis poses a growing health concern globally, yet its burden in India has not been comprehensively assessed over time. This study aimed to quantify the national and sub-national trends in incidence, prevalence, mortality and disability burden of pancreatitis in India from 1990 to 2021, using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data.

METHODS

Data on six core indicators: incidence, prevalence, deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) were extracted from the GBD database. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) per 100,000 population were analyzed across 31 Indian states and union territories. Trends were evaluated by age, sex and region.

RESULTS

From 1990 to 2021, incident cases rose from 229,614 (95% UI: 190,053-274,618) to 523,074 (95% UI: 435,284-625,178) and prevalence rose from 249,067 (95% UI: 169,900-342,317) to 547,618 (95% UI: 369,410-750,696). The age-standardized incidence rate increased modestly from 32.78 (95% UI: 27.25-38.72) to 36.76 (95% UI: 30.52-43.44), while the prevalence rate rose from 37.83 (95% UI: 25.53-51.76) to 39.70 (95% UI: 26.84-54.45). The ASR for deaths declined from 2.24 (95% UI: 1.57-3.12) to 1.71 (95% UI: 1.27-2.25) and the DALY rate from 77.69 (95% UI: 57.42-111.80) to 56.82 (95% UI: 43.50-73.46). Male ASRs remained consistently higher than female. Higher Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) states showed increased YLDs and reduced premature mortality.

CONCLUSION

The pancreatitis burden in India has increased substantially, with notable regional and sex-based differences. These findings point out the need for early diagnosis, targeted interventions in high-burden states and improved outpatient care to manage chronic morbidity.