Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)

12/30/2025

In 2020, there were 477,000 low bone mineral density (BMD)–related deaths and more than 17 million years of healthy life lost (a measure known as disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs) in the world, according to a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology.

In men, road injuries accounted for up to 45% of low BMD–related deaths in midlife. In women, falls became the leading cause after age 50, responsible for more than half of low BMD–related deaths (53%) at ages 50–54: http://ms.spr.ly/6188taMyq

12/29/2025

Maintaining healthy blood sugar, treating hearing loss, getting screened for depression, being active, and participating in group activities are all potential actions to help prevent or delay dementia.

A new infographic outlines these actions, which are based on key findings from the Dementia Risk Reduction Project report (a multi-year collaboration between AARP, the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, and IHME).

Check out the infographic: http://ms.spr.ly/6188taDXm

12/23/2025

Nearly one in three people globally experienced a headache disorder in 2023, according to research published in The Lancet Neurology.

This study uncovered compelling findings — headaches accounted for almost 5% of the world’s health loss, affected women more than men, and remained one of the most common and disabling health conditions. Think Global Health dives into these findings with two authors of the study.

Read the piece: http://ms.spr.ly/6186towNi
Read the study on the global burden of headache disorders: http://ms.spr.ly/6188towNY

12/22/2025

A recent IHME-led study published in The Lancet found that Lebanon has one of the fastest-growing cancer rates in the world, with new cases increasing 4% annually from 1990 to 2023.

According to Dr. Ali H. Mokdad, a professor of Health Metrics Sciences at IHME and Chief Strategy Officer for Population Health at the University of Washington, the main driver of cancer in Lebanon is to***co — a message he recently presented to members of the Lebanese parliament, along with urgent findings on rising cancer rates in the country.

• Read the story: http://ms.spr.ly/6182toXAQ
• Read the study on global cancer burden and forecasts to 2050: http://ms.spr.ly/6183toXAv

12/21/2025

In 2023, 10.5 million people were living with Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease primarily transmitted by infected insects. There was a 16% decrease in prevalent cases since 1990 and a 55% drop in the global age-standardized prevalence rate, according to research using Global Burden of Disease 2023 study data.

We discuss this research with study author and IHME Acting Assistant Professor Dr. Ewerton Cousin.

‣ Watch the full Q&A video: http://ms.spr.ly/6184toZXK
‣ Read the study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases: http://ms.spr.ly/6185toZXz

12/20/2025

There were higher mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa among women and children than previously estimated, according to findings from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study. Mortality among children (aged 5–14) in sub-Saharan Africa was 87% higher overall and death rates among younger females (aged 15–29) were more than 60% greater than past studies estimated.

IHME experts explain how innovations in the GBD research methods prompted these findings: http://ms.spr.ly/6187tontV

12/19/2025

IHME researchers were honored to recently participate in the inaugural Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative Partners Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, where global partners came together to collaborate, share insights, and accelerate progress toward the Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative — a worldwide effort to restore sight for millions.

Our IHME experts contributed by highlighting the global burden of visual impairment, drawing on vision-loss estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study.

Learn more about the Initiative: http://ms.spr.ly/6186tUGEy

12/19/2025

New research aimed to re-quantify and re-estimate the risk factors of child growth failure (CGF) — which includes stunting, wasting, and underweight — to understand how they are related to diarrhea, lower respiratory tract infections, malaria, and measles. Researchers used data from the Global Burden of Disease study to examine the CGF burden from 2000 to 2023.

Read the study: http://ms.spr.ly/6188toZ4j

12/18/2025

Recent research examined the disease burden attributable to intimate partner violence (IPV) against females and sexual violence against children (SVAC). IPV contributed to over 20% of the healthy life lost due to anxiety, self-harm, and interpersonal violence among women, while SVAC was a major driver of the burden of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, bulimia nervosa, and conduct disorder.

Read the research, published in The Lancet: http://ms.spr.ly/6184tW2ni

12/17/2025

Recent research analyzed primary brain and central nervous system cancer in the US and found in 2021, for all age groups and sexes across the US, there were 31,780 incident cases.

Despite no significant change observed in the overall incidence between 1990 and 2021, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates and mortality rates decreased by 15.77% and 8.41%, respectively.

Read the research, published in JAMA Neurology: http://ms.spr.ly/6188tmNZG

12/16/2025

Lower respiratory infections remain one of the world’s most persistent health threats, causing 2.5 million deaths and nearly 100 million disability-adjusted life years in 2023. According to new research, the burden is concentrated in two groups: children under 5 and adults aged 70 years and older — they are experiencing the highest mortality rates.

Read the study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases: http://ms.spr.ly/6183tmaqN

12/11/2025

Dr. Joe Dieleman (Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at IHME) and Haley Lescinsky (Managing Research Scientist at IHME) — authors of a recent study examining US county health care performance — discussed the implications of changing US health care spending in a piece for Think Global Health.

“[States that expanded Medicaid] had higher levels of performance,” said Dr. Dieleman. “That is an important takeaway, and it suggests that there could be some very serious repercussions from removing Medicaid or disenrolling lots of individuals from Medicaid.”

Read the study: http://ms.spr.ly/6182tcu5A
Read the piece from Think Global Health: http://ms.spr.ly/6181tcu5f

A new study explores the factors shaping strong health systems in the United States, including Medicaid expansion