Dual Threat: Arrhythmia and Alzheimer's Mortality Trends in US Adults (1999-2023)
Shahreena Athar Siddiqui1, Huzaifa Nawaz2, Mahreen Sangrasi3, Syed Muhammad Uzair3, Tooba Munir3, Laiba Sultan1, Nafila Zeeshan1, Hafiz Sohail Ashraf4
1Dow University of Health Sciences, 2Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), Ghaus-ul-Azam Jail Road, Lahore, Pakistan 54000, 3Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), 4Carle foundation Hospital Urbana Illinois
Objective:
This study aims to quantify the mortality burden of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with Alzheimer’s disease using CDC data.
Background:
Both Alzheimer’s disease and cardiac arrhythmias are leading causes of death in the U.S., frequently coexisting and compounding survival risks. Yet, their combined mortality burden remains poorly quantified, underscoring the need for population-level analysis using CDC mortality data.
Design/Methods:
This study used CDC WONDER data to calculate age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000. Join point regression estimated Average Annual Percentage Changes (AAPC), with trends analyzed by year, sex, race, age, place of death, and region for AD-related cardiac arrhythmia mortality.
Results:
Between 1999 and 2023, there were 651416 recorded cases of cardiac arrhythmias in AD patients aged 25 and over. Age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) increased from 5.71 to 15.02 between 1999 and 2023, with an AAPC of 3.84* (95% CI: 3.35-4.48). Furthermore, the AAMR of women (11.31) was somewhat greater than that of men (11.25). Significant racial differences were seen among the races, with the highest death rates among NH Whites (12.34), NH Blacks (8.48), Hispanics (6.16), and NH Asians (4.71). When urbanization was considered, nonmetropolitan regions had higher death rates (12.15) than metropolitan areas (10.83). The Midwestern area (12.26) has the highest death rate among the US census regions, followed by the Western (11.82), Southern (11.29), and Northeastern (9.97) regions. The crude death rate was highest among older people (57.20) and lowest among middle-aged adults (0.16). From 1999 to 2020, Vermont had one of the highest death rates (19.93) while Nevada had the lowest (4.86). In 2021–2023, Oklahoma had one of the highest death rates (38.22), while Illinois had the lowest (9.53).
Conclusions:
Cardiac arrhythmia deaths in people with Alzheimer’s have more than doubled. Better screening, fair access to heart care, and region-focused prevention efforts are needed to reduce these growing gaps.
Disclaimer: Abstracts were not reviewed by Neurology® and do not reflect the views of Neurology® editors or staff.