To examine demographic and regional differences in mortality rates associated with vascular dementia.

Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia and an important health concern worldwide. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for the condition, and  average survival after diagnosis is about four years.

We analyzed mortality data related to vascular dementia from 1999 to 2020 using the CDC WONDER database (ICD-10-Code= F01). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 were utilized to evaluate trends across gender, race, year, urbanization, and census regions. Joinpoint regression was used to calculate annual percentage change (APC) in AAMR with a 95% confidence interval.

From 1999 to 2020, there were 202,667 reported deaths in the U.S. due to vascular dementia, with an overall APC of 3.73. Females represented 62.8% of the total deaths. Both genders experienced an increase in AMR from 1999 to 2006, with APC values of 73.57 for males and 69.73 for females. In contrast, the APC from 2006 to 2020 was 3.52 for males and 3.37 for females. Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks had the highest average AAMR at 3.3, while NH Asians had the lowest at 2.2. NH Whites experienced the most significant increase in trend (AAPC: 22.7), followed by NH Blacks (AAPC: 20.7), NH Pacific Islanders (AAPC: 3.6), Hispanics (AAPC: 2.8), and NH American Indians (AAPC: 1.7). Mississippi recorded the lowest AAMR among states at 1.7, while Washington had the highest at 11.5. The South region exhibited the highest AAPC at 23.27, followed by the West at 18.76, the Northeast at 5.60, and the Midwest at 4.73.

Disparities in gender, race, urbanization, and geography significantly influence mortality rates from vascular dementia, which have risen sharply over the last two decades. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted public health policies to ensure equitable access to prevention and treatment