膝骨关节炎疾病负担研究：东亚五国1990-2021流行病学趋势分析

This study comprehensively examined the disease burden and epidemiological aspects of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in five East Asian countries between 1990 and 2021. Due to its enormous population and broad territory, China had the highest absolute numbers of cases, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) among the five countries in both 1990 and 2021; however, South Korea had the highest age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), and age-standardized disability rate (ASDR). From 1990 to 2021, the percentage change in age-standardized rates showed an upward trend across all five nations, indicating a continuing increase in the disease burden, with China showing the largest increase. Notably, South Korea demonstrated a 'divergence' in which absolute numbers expanded the fastest while age-standardized rates increased the slowest. This seemingly contradictory occurrence demonstrates a strong relationship between population ageing and the burden of KOA. This is because, in South Korea—a country with a rapidly ageing population—ageing may drive an increase in absolute numbers, but age-standardized rates filter out the impact of age on the burden of disease, highlighting the significant association between population ageing and the burden of KOA, which together form South Korea's unique disease burden profile [14].