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TOPLINE
A cross-sectional analysis of Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 data found that global acne prevalence reached 54.4 million cases in 2023, an increase of more than 63% since 1990, and is projected to increase through 2050.
METHODOLOGY
- A cross-sectional examined incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) across 204 countries and territories from 1990 through 2023 from the GBD Study 2023 data on acne vulgaris.
- Annual global age-standardized estimates spanning 1990 to 2023 were used to assess temporal trends.
- Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were applied to project outcomes through 2050.
TAKEAWAY
- In 2023, an estimated 54.4 million persons had prevalent acne globally (674.1 per 100,000 persons); 56% were female. The global incidence of acne reached 27.8 million cases (344.4 per 100,000 persons), and the condition accounted for 1.17 million DALYs (14.5 per 100,000 persons).
- Acne burden was highest among adolescents and young adults aged 15-19 years, with females consistently showing higher prevalence (4154.8 vs 3389.8 per 100,000 for age 15-19 years) and DALYs (89.2 vs 73.4 per100,000 for age 15-19 years) rates than males across all high-burden age groups. Incidence risk peaked among individuals aged 10-14 years: 2026.8 per 100,000 among females and 1600.8 per 100,000 among males.
- Between 1990 and 2023, age-standardized incidence risk increased by 67.3%, from 214.4 to 358.7 per 100,000 persons. Age-standardized prevalence risk and DALYs rate increased by 63.6% and 63.5%, respectively.
- By 2050, demography-informed ARIMA projections estimated 77.0 million prevalent cases, 37.5 million incident cases, and 1.65 million DALYs globally.
IN PRACTICE
"In this cross-sectional study, global acne burden increased through 2023, with continued increases projected through 2050," the authors wrote. The patterns, they added, "are consistent with the established epidemiology of acne vulgaris."
SOURCE
The study was led by Pierina Parraga, BS, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston. It was published online on October 14 in JAMA Dermatology.
LIMITATIONS
The estimates were derived from statistical models informed by healthcare encounter data that could underestimate disease burden in untreated or undiagnosed cases. Estimates were not directly comparable with earlier GBD releases due to evolving case definitions and modeling methods, and long-term forecasts did not propagate uncertainty in underlying GBD estimates or account for future changes in health care utilization or diagnostic practices.
DISCLOSURES
No specific funding was reported. One author reported receiving personal consulting fees from Alosa Health, Galderma Honeydew Care, Kenvue, Sagimet Biosciences, Sanofi Pasteur, and Twi Biotechnology unrelated to this work.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
