Mortality due to BH in the United States is on the fall. In this study we explored BH mortality trends from 1999 to 2020, whilst simultaneously using age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) to isolate disparities amongst various demographic variables.

Brain Hemorrhage (BH), also referred to as intracranial hemorrhage, is an acute medical condition characterized by bleeding within the brain. Trauma, Aneurysm rupture and hypertension are commonly identified as causes.

We assessed BH mortality data obtained from CDC WONDER (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research) Database. AAMR per 100000 people and annual percent changes (APC) with 95% confidence intervals were quantified. The Joinpoint Regression Program was utilized to ascertain overall trends and disparities in key demographic (gender, race, age, urban/rural) groups.

A total of 607,975 mortalities due to BH were reported between 1999 and 2020. A downward trend in AAMR was observed throughout, from 1999 to 2020, with an APC of -1.47. With the AAMR itself decreasing from 9.4 in 1999 to 7.1 in 2020. Higher mortality rates were discerned in males, African Americans and the 85+ years old age group. The AAMR was found to be higher in the metropolitan (urban) populations until 2004, however nonmetropolitan (rural) population have had higher BH mortalities since.

Deaths due to BH have been declining in the United States over the last 20 years, possibly due to better interventional strategies. Despite that, consistently higher mortality rates in the highlighted demographic groups underscore the importance of continued investigation and the development of targeted interventions.