Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To analyze and model the global, regional, and national burden of autoimmune diseases (ADs) among older adults (≥60 years) from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data for 204 countries and territories. Age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rates were calculated with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Temporal trends were assessed using estimated annual percentage change (EAPC, with 95% Confidence Intervals [95% CI]). Future trends to 2035 were projected using a log-linear age-period-cohort model. RESULTS: In 2021, the Americas and Europe had the highest burden of ADs in older adults. From 1990 to 2021, age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates increased notably for rheumatoid arthritis (EAPC for incidence rate: 0.75, 0.70-0.79; for prevalence rate: 0.54, 0.50-0.58) and type 1 diabetes (incidence rate: 0.78, 0.70-0.86; prevalence rate:0.84, 0.81-0.88). Psoriasis showed smaller but consistent increases, while inflammatory bowel disease rose only modestly, and multiple sclerosis remained relatively stable. Projections suggest continued increases in age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates for most ADs through 2035. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of ADs among older adults is rising globally, with particularly high rates in the Americas and Europe. These findings highlight the urgent need for strategic resource allocation and targeted prevention and management strategies to address ADs in aging populations.