Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, the investigators analyzed age-standardized incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis in adults aged ≥70 years across 204 countries and territories, stratified by sex, Socio-Demographic Index (SDI), health system performance, and region. The investigators calculated estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs), applied age-period-cohort modelling, and used Bayesian models to project future burden. Attributable burdens for key risk factors were also estimated.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis with pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis
• Diagnosis in 1990 through 2021
• Age 70+ years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age <70 years
• Other non-pancreatic diseases

The study population consisted of patients aged 70 years or older who were diagnosed with either pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis between 1990 and 2021. Individuals under the age of 70 were excluded from participation. Additionally, those with comorbid non-pancreatic diseases were also excluded to minimize potential confounding effects and to maintain a focus on conditions specifically related to the pancreas.