Impact of population aging on the global burden of tuberculosis: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a very old and still important disease and a major public health problem that threatens human health, and elder adults over 65 years of age are the most prevalent group for TB. The average life expectancy of the world population is now increasing and the rate of aging is accelerating, and it is increasingly important to explore the impact of population aging on the burden of tuberculosis. The author reviews the causes of susceptibility to tuberculosis in the elderly and the countermeasures, with the aim of contributing to the future prevention and control of tuberculosis in the elderly. Methods: We identified 502 studies published between 1953-2022 from the PubMed database by using combinations of the keywords "tuberculosis[All Fields/MeSH Terms]"and "aging[All Fields/MeSH Terms]"and "elderly[All Fields/MeSH Terms]". These 502 papers were screened in terms of content and format and finally included 9 in this review. Conclusions: The number of elderly people is increasing and the aging of the population has become an inevitable trend in the development of the world population. The major burden of tuberculosis will also shift to elderly patients. More research on TB control in the elderly is necessary, which will contribute to the achievement of global TB control goals.