Trends and burden of cardiovascular diseases among children and adolescents in China from 1990 to 2021.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There are currently no reports on the burden and trends of cardiovascular disease among children and adolescents in China. This study aims to investigate the burden and epidemiological characteristics of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) within the Chinese population by analyzing the trends and burden of CVD among children and adolescents of different genders and age groups in China from 1990 to 2021.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

Utilizing data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2021, we estimated the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with CVD among children and adolescents aged 0-19 years in China from 1990 to 2021. During this period, both the rate of death and exhibited a declining trend, while incidence rate showed a slowly declining trend. The incidence rate of CVD increased with age, especially in the population aged ≥5years. Various diseases demonstrated different the estimated annual percent change (EAPC) during 1990-2021 and almost all diseases had a decreasing trend. The ranking of incident cases, deaths and DALYs of CVD and changes indicated that stroke, rheumatic heart disease were the most important diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a consistent decline in the incidence, mortality, and DALY rates of CVD over the past three decades, children and adolescents in China continue to face substantial cardiovascular health challenges. We need to focus on CVD in children and adolescents continuously and develop health policies and practical strategies based on the current trends to address this health challenge.