Heart disease is still the leading cause of death worldwide and diabetes deaths are increasing, according to the latest Global Burden of Disease study.
Non-communicable diseases contributed to 72% of all deaths worldwide in 2016, with coronary heart disease the top culprit in premature mortality in most regions, according to the study, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and gathering data from 195 countries.
Though mortality rates have declined across age groups — with data showing deaths under age 5 have hit an all-time low since 1970 — heart disease, diabetes and depression are prevalent and on the rise, while the dengue virus and drug-resistant infections are also increasingly posing a problem.
Over the past decade, deaths related to coronary heart disease rose 19%, while deaths associated with diabetes rose more than 31%. Heart disease leads mortality in all but the low-income countries, where the leading cause was lower respiratory infections.
Infectious disease trends
Deaths from infectious diseases largely decreased, with the notable exception of the dengue virus, which saw an 81.8% increase since 2006. Sanofi recently brought a dengue vaccine to market and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. is developing one, currently in phase 3 trials.
Antibiotic resistance is also proving to be a challenge — extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis caused nearly 11,000 deaths in 2016, a 67.6% increase over the decade. Deaths from non-resistant tuberculosis dropped 20.9% during that time.
Overall, the rise in drug-resistant bacteria has created a dire situation against some infectious diseases, leading the World Health Organization to call earlier this year for new, more powerful antibiotics. Several companies have been supported through incentive programs such as the U.S.'s Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator, though many struggle to innovate and ultimately turn a profit in the antibiotics space.
While HIV/AIDS mortality has been nearly halved over 10 years, there were still more than 1 million deaths from the disease in 2016. Drugmakers in the space, such as Gilead Sciences Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, are increasingly focused on long-term use and low toxicity medicines, although other risks such as cancer have grown as HIV/AIDS patients age.
Life factors
Ultimately, diet and lifestyle play a critical role in fueling health problems. High blood sugar, high blood pressure, high body mass index and high total cholesterol were all in the top 10 leading risk factors for death globally, according to the research.
Another wide-ranging issue has been mental health. Major depressive disorders rank among the top 10 causes of ill health in all but four countries, and researchers said that in 2016 there were 1.1 billion people with mental health and substance use disorders.
The research indicates that people are living longer and substantial progress has been made across several areas, Christopher Murray, IHME director, said in a statement.
"Yet, despite this progress, we are facing a triad of trouble holding back many nations and communities — obesity, conflict, and mental illness, including substance use disorders," Murray said.
The average global life expectancy for women globally is 75.3 years, and 69.8 years for men. Japan has the highest life expectancy for both at 83.9 years on average, while the Central African Republic has the lowest at 50.2 years on average.