RCTs in PubMed with estimates of trial population sizes, and comparison with measures of global disease burden
| Disease category | Total RCTs, thousands, (95% prediction interval) (rank) | RCTs with the condition as a population, thousands, (95% prediction interval) (rank) | RCTs with the condition as an outcome, Thousands, (95% prediction interval) (rank) | DALYs, thousands (rank) | Death, thousands (rank) | YLD, thousands (rank) | YLLs, thousands (rank) |
| Mental disorders | 55 (49 to 61)(1) | 28 (25 to 31)(3) | 40 (36 to 44)(1) | 2900(11) | <0.1(21) | 2900(2) | 0.4(21) |
| Cardiovascular diseases | 54 (49 to 60)(2) | 37 (33 to 41)(1) | 31 (28 to 34)(2) | 8700(1) | 410(1) | 710(11) | 8000(1) |
| Other non-communicable diseases | 39 (35 to 43)(3) | 24 (21 to 26)(5) | 20 (18 to 22)(4) | 3500(6) | 33(15) | 1300(6) | 2200(9) |
| Neurological disorders | 39 (35 to 43)(4) | 26 (23 to 28)(4) | 20 (18 to 23)(3) | 2500(12) | 58(7) | 1700(3) | 820(17) |
| Neoplasms | 31 (28 to 34)(5) | 29 (26 to 31)(2) | 6 (6 to 7)(12) | 5400(4) | 210(2) | 150(20) | 5200(4) |
| Maternal and neonatal disorders | 24 (22 to 26)(6) | 19 (17 to 21)(6) | 13 (11 to 14)(5) | 7200(2) | 77(5) | 630(13) | 6500(2) |
| Diabetes and kidney diseases | 21 (19 to 23)(7) | 18 (17 to 20)(7) | 5 (4 to 5)(13) | 2200(16) | 52(9) | 900(9) | 1300(15) |
| Unintentional injuries | 18 (16 to 20)(8) | 11 (10 to 12)(11) | 9 (8 to 10)(8) | 3300(7) | 51(10) | 800(10) | 2500(7) |
| Musculoskeletal disorders | 18 (16 to 20)(9) | 13 (12 to 15)(8) | 7 (6 to 8)(10) | 3100(8) | 2(19) | 3000(1) | 65(19) |
| Digestive diseases | 17 (15 to 19)(10) | 13 (12 to 14)(9) | 7 (6 to 8)(11) | 2100(18) | 56(8) | 440(14) | 1700(14) |
| Substance use disorders | 17 (15 to 19)(11) | 8 (7 to 8)(14) | 12 (11 to 13)(6) | 1000(22) | 8(18) | 710(12) | 310(18) |
| Skin and subcutaneous diseases | 16 (15 to 18)(12) | 8 (7 to 9)(13) | 12 (11 to 13)(7) | 1000(21) | 2(20) | 990(7) | 55(20) |
| Chronic respiratory diseases | 14 (13 to 16)(13) | 13 (11 to 14)(10) | 4 (4 to 5)(15) | 2900(10) | 99(4) | 990(8) | 1900(12) |
| Sense organ diseases | 14 (13 to 16)(14) | 8 (7 to 9)(12) | 8 (7 to 9)(9) | 1400(20) | n/a | 1400(4) | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections | 8 (7 to 9)(15) | 7 (6 to 8)(15) | 3 (3 to 4)(17) | 2500(13) | 41(11) | 130(21) | 2300(8) |
| Respiratory infections and tuberculosis | 8 (7 to 8)(16) | 4 (3 to 4)(17) | 5 (4 to 5)(14) | 6500(3) | 120(3) | 290(17) | 6200(3) |
| Other infectious diseases | 7 (6 to 8)(17) | 5 (4 to 5)(16) | 3 (2 to 3)(18) | 3000(9) | 39(12) | 110(22) | 2900(6) |
| Nutritional deficiencies | 5 (4 to 6)(18) | 2 (1 to 2)(19) | 4 (3 to 4)(16) | 2100(17) | 12(17) | 1300(5) | 840(16) |
| Neglected tropical diseases and malaria | 3 (3 to 4)(19) | 2 (2 to 3)(18) | 1 (1 to 1)(19) | 2300(14) | 27(16) | 410(15) | 1900(10) |
| Self-harm and interpersonal violence | 2 (1 to 2)(20) | 0.8 (0.7 to 0.9)(20) | 1.0 (0.9 to 1)(20) | 2000(19) | 37(14) | 180(19) | 1900(13) |
| Enteric infections | 1 (1 to 2)(21) | 0.6 (0.5 to 0.7)(21) | 0.8 (0.8 to 0.9)(21) | 4100(5) | 64(6) | 240(18) | 3800(5) |
| Transport injuries | 0.4 (0.4 to 0.5)(22) | 0.2 (0.2 to 0.2)(22) | 0.2 (0.2 to 0.2)(22) | 2200(15) | 38(13) | 300(16) | 1900(11) |
DALYs, disability-adjusted life years; n/a, not available; RCTs, randomised controlled trials; YLD, years lived with disability; YLLs, years of life lost.