Disease Burden

Disease Burden is measured by 3 characteristics:

• Disability-Adjusted Life Years   (DALYs) is a measure of health burden, including both reduction in life expectancy and diminished quality of life.
More specifically, the DALY burden for a particular condition is the sum of YLL (years of life lost due to premature mortality) and YLD (years lost to disability).
So, DALY = YLL + YLD

• Years of Life Lost   (YLLs) is a summary measure of premature mortality.
YLL estimates the years of potential life lost due to premature deaths.

• Years Lived with Disability   (YLDs) is a measure reflecting the impact an illness has on quality of life before it resolves or leads to death. YLDs account for the severity of a disability and are typically weighted so that young adult ages are valued higher than infants or the very elderly.

Since 7-19-2026