Exposure to and Burden of Major Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors in Brazil and its States, 1990-2019: The Global Burden of Disease Study

Abstract

Introduction: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have become the main cause of disease burden in Brazil. Our objective was to describe trends (1990 to 2019) in prevalence and attributable burden of five modifiable risk factors and related metabolic risk factors in Brazil and its states. Methods: In Global Burden of Disease 2019 analyses, we described trends in prevalence of modifiable risk factors and their metabolic mediators as percentage change in Summary Exposure Value (SEV). We estimated deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to the risk factors. Results: Age-adjusted exposures to alcohol [41.0%, Uncertainty Interval (UI): 24.2 – 63.4], red meat (61.2%, UI: 42.4–92.3), low physical activity (3.9%, UI:-5–17.5) and ambient particulate matter pollution (3.3%, UI:-48.9–128.0) have worsened. Those for smoking (-51.4%, UI:-54.7–-47.8), diet low in fruits (-28.1%, UI:-39.1–-18.7) and vegetables (-19.6%, UI:-32.7 –-8.7), and household air pollution (-85.3%, UI:-92.9–-74.3) have improved. All mediating metabolic risk factors, except high blood pressure (0.7%, UI:-6.9–8.3), have worsened: BMI (110.2%, UI: 78.6–161.7), hyperglycemia (15.1%, UI: 9.3–21.2), kidney dysfunction (12.0%, UI: 8.4–17.2), and high LDL-c (11.8%, UI: 6.9–17.2). Conclusions: A variable pattern of progress and failure in controlling modifiable risk factors has been accompanied by major worsening in most metabolic risk factors. The mixed success in public health measures to control modifiable risk factors for NCDs, when gauged by the related trends in metabolic risk factors, alert to the need for stronger actions to control NCDs in the future.