Abstract Details

The study aims to analyze Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Cardiac arrest (CA) related mortality trends and demographic variances in the United States from 1999 to 2020.

The association between AD and CA is well-established in the existing literature. Aside from their shared risk factors, CA significantly increases the likelihood of developing AD. Coupled with this, AD patients have a greater mortality risk linked with CA.  

We used the CDC WONDER database to examine mortality trends associated with AD (ICD-10 Code: G30) and CA (ICD-10 Code: I46) among older-adults (≥65). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 were calculated. Joinpoint regression was conducted to calculate the average and annual percent changes (AAPC and APC) with 95% CI for stratified groups. 

A total of 254,007 AD and CA-related deaths were reported in the US between 1999 and 2020. Mortality rates declined significantly from 2005 to 2013 (APC: −2.93, p<0.001), but mildly increased thereafter. Overall, a slight rise in mortality was observed from 1999 to 2020 (AAPC: 0.32). AAMRs were higher in females (29.4) than in males (23.5). Hispanics observed the highest AAMR (39), followed by NH Blacks (29.8), NH Asians/Pacific Islanders (29.2), and NH Whites (26.2). Geographically, the West reported the highest AAMR (56.1), followed by the Northeast (24), the South (22.1), and the Midwest (12.2). Among states, California reported the highest AAMR (93.6), while Maryland observed the lowest (2.8). Urban areas exhibited a higher AAMR (28.2) than rural areas (23.4). Half of the deaths occurred in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. 

The analysis reveals a mild overall rise in mortality rates associated with AD and CA. Significant gender, racial, and regional disparities were observed, highlighting the need for targeted policies.