The Burden of Urticaria in the Middle East and North Africa Region From 1990 to 2021: A Systematic Analysis Based on the GBD Study 2021.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Urticaria is a condition which can impair the quality of life of affected individuals. There is a lack of recent studies on the burden of this disease in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This article reported the incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of urticaria from 1990 to 2021 in the MENA region, by age, sex, and socio-demographic index (SDI). METHODS: We retrieved data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2021 on the incidence, prevalence, and DALYs due to urticaria in the MENA region. They were estimated using the DisMod-MR 2.1 tool. The values were presented as total counts and age-standardized rates per 100,000 individuals alongside their 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). RESULTS: In 2021, the age-standardized incidence rate was 1649.2 (95% UI: 1452.7-1854.3), the point prevalence was 936.1 (95% UI: 825.8-1058.6) and the DALY rate was 56.1 (95% UI: 36.8-79.2) per 100,000 in MENA region, with no significant changes since 1990. Egypt displayed the highest burden of urticaria, while Turkey had the lowest one. The incident cases and rates were highest in younger ages with the peak observed in children under-5 years old with higher incidence in women across all ages. Countries with mid-level SDI had the highest age-standardized DALY rates. CONCLUSION: Overall, the burden of urticaria has not changed significantly since 1990. Studies on standardizing reporting to strengthen future burden estimates, raising awareness and improving access to healthcare resources and lastly reducing exposure to environmental factors such as pollutants and allergens are recommended.