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Italy’s risk-factor burden changed unevenly across regions and sexes

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Research area:medicine-clinical

What the study found

The study found that disease burden attributable to risk factors in Italy improved overall from 1990 to 2023, but the changes were not the same across regions or between males and females. Metabolic risks are risk factors such as those related to body metabolism, and their burden showed different patterns by sex and place, while behavioural risks decreased across all macro regions.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that the remaining regional and sex differences mean stronger tobacco control, gender-sensitive interventions on metabolic risks, and attention to social determinants of health are needed. The study suggests these issues matter for health policy in Italy.

What the researchers tested

The researchers used estimates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2023 to examine risk-factor-attributable disease burden in Italy from 1990 to 2023. They assessed disability-adjusted life years (DALYs, a measure that combines years of life lost and years lived with disability) across five Italian macro regions, using all-age and age-standardised rates per 100,000 population, and tested correlations with the Socio-demographic Index (SDI).

What worked and what didn't

Metabolic risks in males declined nationally, but rose in the South and stayed stable in the Islands. In females, metabolic risks were stable overall, but increased in the South and Islands; behavioural risks decreased across all macro regions in both sexes. DALYs from metabolic risks were strongly and inversely correlated with SDI in both sexes, while behavioural risks were negatively correlated with SDI only in males.

What to keep in mind

The abstract does not describe detailed limitations beyond noting that the analysis is based on Global Burden of Disease estimates. The study covers Italy from 1990 to 2023 and compares five macro regions, so the findings are limited to that setting and time period.

Key points

  • Overall burden attributable to risk factors improved in Italy from 1990 to 2023.
  • Metabolic risks declined nationally in males but rose in southern Italy and stayed stable in the Islands.
  • Metabolic risks were stable overall in females, but increased in the South and Islands.
  • Behavioural risks decreased across all macro regions in both sexes.
  • Metabolic-risk DALYs were strongly and inversely correlated with SDI in both sexes.

Disclosure

Research title:
Italy’s risk-factor burden changed unevenly across regions and sexes
Authors:
Giulia Zamagni, Giulia Carreras, Benedetta Armocida, Emmanuela Gakidou, Charlie Ashbaugh, Gianfranco Alicandro, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Claudia Carletti, Luana Caselli, Sonia Cerrai, Federica Concina, Sara Conti, Claudia Cosma, Emanuele D’Amico, Silvia Deandrea, Marco Del Riccio, Pietro Ferrara, Carla Fornari, Daniela Fortuna, Silvano Gallus, Lucia Galluzzo, Giuseppe Grosso, Giovanni Guarducci, Stefano Guicciardi, Ivo Iavicoli, Alessio Lachi, Matilde Leonardi, Miriam Levi, Alessandra Lugo, Pasquale Maffia, Stefano Masi, Eleonora Maurel, Luciano Nieddu, Paola Pani, Roberto Passera, Paolo Pedersini, Norberto Perico, Alberto Raggi, Giuseppe Remuzzi, Luca Ronfani, Michela Sabbatucci, Eugenio Traini, Domenico Tricò, Daniele Urso, Aurora Zanghì, Andrea Zovi, Johan Mansson, Mohsen Naghavi, Cristiano Piccinelli, Lorenzo Monasta
Institutions:
Agenzia Sanitaria e Sociale Regionale, Agenzia Sanitaria e Sociale Regionale, Azienda Ospedaliera Citta' della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Meyer Children's Hospital, Ministero della Salute, National Research Council, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Regional Health, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma, University of Bari Aldo Moro, University of Bologna, University of Brescia, University of Catania, University of Florence, University of Florence, University of Foggia, University of Foggia, University of Glasgow, University of Milan, University of Milano-Bicocca, University of Milano-Bicocca, University of Milano-Bicocca, University of Pisa, University of Pisa, University of Siena, University of the Sacred Heart, University of Turin, University of Washington, University of Washington, University of Washington, University of Washington, York University
Publication date:
2026-04-20
DOI:
10.1016/s2468-2667(26)00048-4
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.

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