Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most commonly diagnosed congenital disorder in newborns. The incidence and mortality of CHD vary worldwide. A detailed understanding of the global, regional, and national distribution of CHD is critical for CHD prevention. We collected the incidence and mortality data of CHD from the Global Burden of Disease study 2017 database. Average annual percentage change was applied to quantify the temporal trends of CHD incidence and mortality at the global, regional, and national level, 1990–2017. A sociodemographic index (SDI) was created for each location based on income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. The incidence of CHD was relatively high in developing countries located in Africa and Asia, while low in most developed countries. Between 1990 and 2017, the CHD incidence rate remained stable at the global level, whereas increased in certain developed countries, such as Germany and France. The age-standardized mortality rate of CHD declined substantially over the last 3 decades, regardless of sex, age, and SDI region. The decline was more prominent in developed countries. We also detected a significant positive correlation between CHD incidence and CHD mortality in both 1990 and 2017, by SDI. The incidence of CHD remained stable over the last 3 decades, suggesting little improvement in CHD prevention strategies and highlighting the importance of etiological studies. The mortality of CHD decreased worldwide, albeit the greatly geographical heterogeneity. Developing countries located in Africa and Asia deserve more attention and priority in the global CHD prevention program.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) and spinal cord tumor are devastating events causing structural and functional impairment of the spinal cord and resulting in high morbidity and mortality; these lead to a psychological burden and financial pressure on the patient. These spinal cord damages likely disrupt sensory, motor, and autonomic functions. Unfortunately, the optimal treatment of and spinal cord tumors is limited, and the molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders are unclear. The role of the inflammasome in neuroinflammation in diverse diseases is becoming increasingly important. The inflammasome is an intracellular multiprotein complex and participates in the activation of caspase-1 and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. The inflammasome in the spinal cord is involved in the stimulation of immune-inflammatory responses through the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby mediating further spinal cord damage. In this review, we highlight the role of inflammasomes in SCI and spinal cord tumors. Targeting inflammasomes is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of SCI and spinal cord tumors.