PLOS ONE Medicine&Health

Global burden and trends of age-related and other hearing loss: A 32-year analysis and future projections based on the GBD 2021

by Jiao Zhu, Min Yang, Cuiying Zhou, Houyong Kang, Deping Wang

Background

To evaluate the global, regional, and national burdens of and trends in age-related and other hearing loss (ARoHL) from 1990–2021 based on the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database.

Methods

This study examined trends and disparities in the prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) of patients with ARoHL across age, sex, and the sociodemographic index (SDI). The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to assess temporal trends. Decomposition analysis, cross-country inequality analysis, and frontier analysis were employed to reveal additional facets of the ARoHL burden, whereas Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort (BAPC) modeling projected future trends to 2040.

Results

ARoHL remains a critical public health challenge. The global age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) increased significantly from 1.71 (95% UI: 1.63–1.80) ×10⁴ to 1.81 (95% UI: 1.73–1.89) ×10⁴ per 100,000 (EAPC = 0.163; 95% CI: 0.154–0.172), whereas the age-standardized YLD rate (ASYR) increased from 499.37 to 525.87 per 100,000 (EAPC = 0.171; 95% CI: 0.161–0.180). Decomposition analysis revealed that epidemiological changes contributed 37.28% to the increase in YLDs. Globally and across all five SDI regions without age distinction, the male ASPR and ASYR were consistently greater than the female ASPR and ASYR at all time points. The relationship between the SDI and ARoHL burden is complex. BAPC projections indicate stable ASPRs and ASYRs through 2040 despite increasing cases and YLDs.

Conclusions

The global ASPR of ARoHL increased by 5.63% and that of ASYR increased by 5.31% from 1990–2021, with the number of cases and YLDs doubling. Targeted interventions and policies must address this growing public health challenge.