7% (more than 169 million) of all disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs) resulted from which disorder?

• A. Respiratory disorders
• B. Cardiovascular disorders
• C. Musculoskeletal disorders
• D. Neurological disorders

Answer: (C)

DALYs measure the total burden of disease by combining years of life lost due to premature death with years lived with disability. Conditions that are extremely common and cause long-lasting impairment contribute a lot through disability (YLD), even if they don’t kill people at high rates.

Musculoskeletal disorders, especially back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, and other joint problems, are some of the most prevalent and long-lasting conditions worldwide. They frequently produce chronic pain and reduced function, leading to many years lived with disability and substantial impacts on work and daily activities. Because of this persistent disability, they add up to a large portion of the global DALYs, accounting for about 7% and over 169 million DALYs in total.

Other choices can have serious health consequences too, but the pattern for musculoskeletal conditions is the combination of widespread prevalence and long duration of disability, which explains why they carry such a large share of DALYs.