What is already known about this topic? Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) imposes a heavy burden on both patients and their families. However, there are no reports on the health disparities between residents with long-term exposure to KBD risk factors in endemic and non-endemic areas. What is added by this report? For ischemic heart diseases, the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) were significantly higher in endemic areas, particularly among males, residents aged ≥65 years, and residents in economically developed regions. For malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs, ASMR was higher in endemic areas, and a significant difference in ASMR between the two areas was observed in females. For cerebral infarction, the ASMR was significantly lower in endemic areas, particularly among residents in economically developed regions. The rate of life lost due to ischemic heart diseases and malignant neoplasms of digestive organs was relatively high in endemic areas, while the rate due to cerebral infarction was relatively high in non-endemic areas. What are the implications for public health practice? These findings provide scientific evidence for optimizing comprehensive prevention and control strategies for endemic diseases, and strengthening interventions for key diseases.
Zhifeng et al. (2026) studied this question.