Global Burden of Disease of interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis in adolescents and young adults (1990–2019)

Background : Interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary sarcoidosis are common respiratory diseases that are difficult to diagnose and costly to treat. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 15–39 years are frequently overlooked in global burden estimates despite their unique epidemiological and societal implications. Comprehensive global burden estimates are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed the results of the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019, focusing on Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Methods: Using the GBD 2019 dataset, we calculated age-standardised rate of incidence, mortality, and DALYs and their average annual percentage change from 1990–2019 across various factors, including sex, socio-demographic index (SDI), and geographic region. Decomposition analyses explored the impacts of population growth, changing age structures, and epidemiological changes on ILD incidence, DALYs, and mortality in AYAs globally and across different SDI and GBD regions. Results: In 2019, there were 2.6 million cases of ILD and pulmonary sarcoidosis in AYAs, and 3,428 deaths were attributed to these diseases. Age-standardised incidence and DALY rates significantly increased between 1990 and 2019. Females experienced higher rates than males. Standardised DALY rates decreased in high and middle–high SDI countries but increased in low, middle–low, and low-SDI countries. The primary reason was population growth, significantly impacting areas in the lower SDI quintiles. Conclusions: This study provides recent epidemiological data on the burden of ILD and pulmonary sarcoidosis in AYAs. These findings highlight the importance of targeted control measures to reduce the burden in this age group.