Release Subtitle: Scientists show that incidence and mortality of a rare brain disorder in Japan almost doubled from 2005 to 2014
Release Summary Text:
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, is
an important cause of dementia. However, long-term trends in
CJD-associated mortality and incidence rates in Japan have not been
fully studied until now. Now, scientists conducted a detailed analysis
that uncovered that the CJD-associated death and incidence rates almost
doubled from 2005-2014. They predict that the burden of CJD would
continue to rise in the current hyper-aging era. These findings can help
policymakers plan and strategize effectively.
Full text of release:
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a debilitating disorder that causes
rapid degeneration of the brain as well as progressing dementia. It is a
fatal disorder, often leading to death within just several years of the
onset. CJD is the most common form of a human disorder caused by
“prions,” pathogenic agents that induce abnormal folding of specific
cellular proteins in the brain called “prion proteins.” The major type
of CJD, accounting for 85% of the cases, is called sporadic CJD (sCJD).
Because sCJD mainly occurs in late-middle old age, an increase in the
aging population worldwide can potentially cause a rise in CJD cases,
which is a pressing global concern. Thus, to help policymakers plan
ahead and establish a robust strategy, it is essential to estimate the
trends of CJD-associated deaths and incidence.
To this end, a team of researchers at Okayama University, including Dr
Yoshito Nishimura, Dr Toshihiro Koyama, and Dr Hideharu Hagiya,
conducted a trend analysis of the incidence and mortality of CJD in
Japan, between 2005 and 2014. Their findings are published in Scientific
Reports, a Nature Research journal. Dr Nishimura, the first author of
this study, says, “Despite CJD being a rare disease, the phenomenon of
population aging may trigger a rise in the incidence and, thus, the
socioeconomic and healthcare burden of CJD. Our aim was to analyze these
trends, in an effort to spread awareness and spur new treatment
strategies.”
For their analysis, the scientists used national vital statistics data
on CJD-associated deaths among individuals aged over 50 years as well as
the government-funded nationwide CJD surveillance data (from 2005 to
2014) in Japan. Their analysis revealed that, from 2005 to 2014, there
was a significant increase in the absolute number of deaths, mortality
rates, and incidence rates associated with CJD, even after adjusting for
age. In particular, the average increase in incidence was estimated to
be 6.4% per year. This trend in CJD-associated mortality and incidence
rates was especially prominent in the older-age group, particularly in
those over the age of 70 years. Although a previous report by the
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease International Surveillance Network had stated
that annual death rates of sCJD had risen in most participating
countries in the past two decades, this study shows that Japan might
have had higher CJD-associated deaths and incidence than other
countries, which the scientists attributed to a rise in the aging
population. Dr Nishimura says, “The severe socioeconomic burden on
caregivers due to CJD-induced dementia warrant the attention of
policymakers and stress the need for a mitigative action plan with
particular focus on the increase in the prevalence of dementia. In this
regard, we hope that our findings can help to guide policymakers in the
right direction.”
In 2015, more than 4.7 million people in Japan were living with
dementia, and this number is projected to rapidly increase to 7 million
by 2025. Contrary to other forms of dementia, which progress relatively
slowly, patients with CJD suffer from rapidly progressing dementia.
Thus, there is an urgent need to find effective strategies to improve
their quality of lives and reduce the burden on caregivers. The findings
of this study take a step in this direction, by shedding light on the
need for effective policy measures. Dr Nishimura concludes, “CJD, albeit
rare, will be more prevalent in the next 5-10 years. Policymakers and
health authorities can make use of our findings to establish effective
health policies.”
Release URL: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/ou-bd101820.php
Reference:
Title of original paper: A nationwide trend analysis in the incidence
and mortality of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Japan between 2005 and
2014
Journal: Scientific Reports
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72519-0
Contact Person: NISHIMURA Yoshito
E-mail: nishimura-yoshito(a)okayama-u.ac.jp
For inquiries, please contact us by replacing (a) with the @ mark.
https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/research_highlights/index_id115.html
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