Summary Background The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study provides an annually updated resource to study disease‐related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Objectives Here we present the burden estimates for atopic dermatitis (AD), including data from inception of the GBD project in 1990 until 2017. Methods Data on the burden of AD were obtained from the GBD Study. Results Atopic dermatitis (AD) ranks 15th among all nonfatal diseases and has the highest disease burden among skin diseases as measured by disability‐adjusted life‐years (DALYs). Overall, the global DALY rate for AD in 1990 was 121 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 65·4–201] and remained similar in 2017 at 123 (95% UI 66·8–205). The three countries with the highest DALY rates of AD were Sweden (327, 95% UI 178–547), the UK (284, 95% UI 155–478) and Iceland (277, 95% UI 149–465), whereas Uzbekistan (85·1, 95% UI 45·2–144), Armenia (85·1, 95% UI 45·8–143) and Tajikistan (85·1, 95% UI 46·1–143) ranked lowest. Conclusions The global prevalence rate of AD has remained stable from 1990 to 2017. However, the distribution of AD by age groups shows a bimodal curve with the highest peak in early childhood, decreasing in prevalence among young adults, and a second peak in middle‐aged and older populations. We also found a moderate positive correlation between a country’s gross domestic product and disease burden. GBD data confirm the substantial worldwide burden of AD, which has remained stable since 1990 but shows significant geographical variation. Lifestyle factors, partially linked to affluence, are likely important disease drivers. However, the GBD methodology needs to be developed further to incorporate environmental risk factors, such as ultraviolet exposure, to understand better the geographical and age‐related variations in disease burden.

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In light of the limited efficacy of current treatments for cardiac regeneration, tissue engineering approaches have been explored for their potential to provide mechanical support to injured cardiac tissues, deliver cardio-protective molecules, and improve cell-based therapeutic techniques. Injectable hydrogels are a particularly appealing system as they hold promise as a minimally invasive therapeutic approach. Moreover, injectable acellular alginate-based hydrogels have been tested clinically in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and show preservation of the left ventricular (LV) indices and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This review provides an overview of recent developments that have occurred in the design and engineering of various injectable hydrogel systems for cardiac tissue engineering efforts, including a comparison of natural versus synthetic systems with emphasis on the ideal characteristics for biomimetic cardiac materials.

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