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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Med.

Sec. Geriatric Medicine

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1629111

This article is part of the Research TopicCancer Epidemiology: Patterns, Causes, and Therapeutic AdvancementsView all articles

Global and Chinese Trends in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Burden (1990-2021): A Comprehensive Analysis Based on the GBD Study

Provisionally accepted
Xiaojing LuXiaojing Lu1Xin PengXin Peng1Yunxiang ZhangYunxiang Zhang1Hongming ZhuHongming Zhu1Yu ZhengYu Zheng1Yue SunYue Sun1Heyu JiHeyu Ji1Li JunminLi Junmin1Haijiao JinHaijiao Jin2Xiaoyang LiXiaoyang Li3*
  • 1Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
  • 2Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
  • 3Department of Medical Affairs, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

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Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) poses a significant global health burden. This study evaluates long-term trends in AML burden from 1990 to 2021, focusing on global and Chinese patterns using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data. Methods: We extracted AML-related mortality, incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from the GBD 1990–2021 dataset. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) were analyzed using Joinpoint regression to calculate annual percentage change (APC) and average APC (AAPC). Contributions of smoking, high body mass index (BMI), and occupational exposures were also evaluated. Results: Globally, AML deaths rose by 73.8%, with a 17.45% increase in ASMR. Conversely, China's ASMR declined by 14.76%. DALYs showed a global AAPC of –0.83%, with a sharper decline in China (–2.40%). Males and older adults (>65 years) bore a disproportionate burden. Smoking remained the top risk factor, while high BMI showed the fastest growth in attributable burden. Conclusion: While AML's absolute burden is increasing worldwide, age-adjusted metrics are stabilizing or declining in China, likely due to healthcare improvements. Targeted prevention, risk control, and geriatric-oriented AML strategies are urgently needed.

Keywords: Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Global burden of disease, Epidemiology, Mortality, DALYs, Risk factors, China

Received: 20 May 2025; Accepted: 21 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Lu, Peng, Zhang, Zhu, Zheng, Sun, Ji, Junmin, Jin and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Xiaoyang Li, Department of Medical Affairs, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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