Background/Objectives: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been a leading cause of mortality in the US. Though AMI mortality has been decreasing in the US, significant disparities have persisted. We aim to evaluate disparities in AMI-related deaths in the US from 1999 to 2022. Methods: Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) multiple causes of death database were used to analyze death certificates from 1999 to 2022 for AMI-related deaths among United States older adults (aged ≥ 65) for overall trend and disparities based on demographic (sex, race/ethnicity, and ten-year age groups) and regional (census regions, rural-urban status, and states) subgroups. Rural and urban status were distinguished using definitions set by the 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification scheme for counties. These data come from the 2010 Census report and are updated from the 2006 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification scheme for counties. The crude mortality rate (CMR) and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 people were used to calculate annual percentage changes (APCs) and average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) using Joinpoint regression analysis. Results: From 1999 to 2022, there were 3,249,542 deaths due to AMI. Overall, age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) decreased by 62.78% from 563.2 * (95% CI 560.3–565.7) in 1999 to a nadir at 209.6 * (208.3–210.8) in 2019, with an AAPC of −4.96 * (95% CI −5.11 to −4.81). There were a total of 355,441 deaths from AMI from 2020 to 2022; 21,216 (5.97%) of those were from AMI with COVID-19 infection. An increase of 11.4% was observed from an AAMR of 209.6 * (95% CI 208.3–210.8) in 2019 to 233.5 * (95% CI 232.2–234.8) in 2021. From 2021 to 2022, the AAMR of AMI decreased from 233.5 * (95% CI 232.2–234.8) to 209.8 * (95% CI 208.6–211), recovering to the 2019 levels. The AAMR for AMI excluding associated COVID-19 infection was 217.2 at its peak in 2021, which correlates to only a 3.63% increase from 2019. Significant disparities in AMI mortality were observed, with higher mortality rates in men, African Americans, the oldest age group (age ≥ 85), and those living in southern states and rural areas. Conclusions: AMI mortality in the older adult population of the US has significantly decreased from 1999 to 2019, with a brief increase during the pandemic from 2019 to 2021, followed by recovery back to the 2019 level in 2022. The majority of the rise observed during the pandemic was associated with COVID-19 infection. Despite remarkable improvement in mortality, significant disparities have persisted, with men, African Americans, and those living in rural areas and the southern region of the US having disproportionately higher mortality.

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected various demographics and regions in the United States. Understanding disparities in COVID-19 mortality is essential for promoting health equity and guiding future responses. To examine demographic and regional disparities in age-adjusted and proportionate COVID-19 mortality in the US from 2020 to 2023. In this repeated cross-sectional study, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) multiple causes of death database were used to analyze death certificates from 2020 to 2023 for COVID-19-related mortality among persons aged ≥ 15 years in the U.S. Age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) per 100,000 persons, Rate ratio (with 95% CI), and proportionate mortality of COVID-19, calculated using descriptive statistics. From 2020 to 2023, 1,167,362 (8.91%) of 13,098,787 total deaths in the U.S. were attributed to COVID-19. The AAMR peaked in 2021 at 147.0 (95% CI: 146.6–147.5) per 100,000, with 13.45% of all deaths related to COVID-19, decreasing to 23.1 (2.49%) by 2023. Males exhibited a 1.56-fold higher AAMR than females. Non-Hispanic (NH) American Indian/Alaska Native experienced the highest cumulative AAMR (154), followed by NH Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (124.2) and NH African American (123.9) populations. Hispanics had the highest proportionate mortality, with COVID-19 contributing to 23.55% of all deaths in 2021. The oldest age group (≥ 75 years) had the highest cumulative AAMR, 71.6 times higher compared to the youngest group (15–44 years), whereas the highest proportionate mortality was seen in middle-aged adults (45–74 years). Regionally, the Southern U.S. census region recorded the highest cumulative and annual AAMR, except for the Northeast, in 2020. From 2020 to 2023, males, older adults, and racial/ethnic minority groups, notably NH AI/AN, NH NH/PI, NH African American, and Hispanic populations, experienced higher COVID-19 mortality. Regionally, the Southern U.S. Census region had the highest COVID-19 mortality, except for the Northeast, in 2020. These disparities underscore the importance of implementing equitable public health strategies and ensuring preparedness for future health crises. Not applicable

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening via colonoscopy is now advised for most adults beginning at age 45 years, an update from the earlier recommendation of age 50 years. With the increase in CRC screening rates, it is crucial to examine how mortality rates have changed over time. The aim of this study is to identify trends and regional differences in CRC mortality over the last two decades, specifically in individuals within the CRC recommended screening age group. Methods: This study used the Center for Disease Control’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) system to collect data on CRC mortality for people ages 45–84 years in the United States from 1999–2022. Results: During the study period, the overall age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) for CRC decreased across all census regions. The Midwest consistently had the highest AAMR, while the West had the lowest. Among genders, males in the Northeast had the highest rates, whereas females in the West had the lowest. Black or African Americans in the Midwest experienced the highest AAMR among racial groups, while Asian or Pacific Islanders in the Midwest had the lowest AAMR. Conclusions: The mortality rate of CRC has been decreasing since 1999, but differences between regional groups have persisted. Disparities in outcomes still exist, showing that vulnerable subgroups require targeted interventions such as improved screening and follow-up access to increase early-stage diagnoses and potential for curative treatments.

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the fifth leading cause of death for Americans older than 65. Though fluctuations have been noticed over the past two decades, the mortality of Alzheimer’s patients increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore the temporal trends in AD-associated mortality (ADAM) and disparities in these trends, and we aim to discern changes to these trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The CDC WONDER Multiple Cause-of-Death Public Use Records from 1999 to 2022 were used to extract population data on deaths related to AD and stratify them based on age, biological sex, race, ethnicity, place of death, census region, and state. ICD-10 codes G30.0, G30.1, G30.8, and G30.9 were used to identify AD-related mortality. Statistical analysis was performed using the Joinpoint Regression Program version 5.0.2. Results: We confirmed an increase in mortality rate in all races, sexes, places of death, age groups above 65, and states/census regions. Interestingly, the age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) of AD was consistently higher in females compared to males. Non-Hispanic whites had the highest AD mortality by race and ethnicity. At the intersection of race and biological sex, White females had the highest AAMR with AD. Lastly, we noted an increase in AD mortality at hospice facilities as compared to other places of death. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the number of deaths due to AD was exacerbated by the recent pandemic and that White females were disproportionately affected. The disparities relating to ADAM uncovered in this study may assist healthcare administrators and policymakers in their decisions. Additionally, the findings might help initiate larger studies focusing on these disparities to explore novel risk/prognostic factors for AD.

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by the degradation of dopaminergic pathways in the brain. As the population in the United States continues to age, it is essential to understand the trends in mortality related to PD. This analysis of PD’s mortality characterizes temporal shifts, examines demographic and regional differences, and provides machine-learning predictions. Methods: PD-related deaths in the United States were gathered from CDC WONDER. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) were collected, and trends were analyzed based on gender, race, region, age, and place of death. Annual percent change and average annual percent change were calculated using Joinpoint Regression program. Forecasts were obtained using the optimal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. Results: Overall mortality rate due to Parkinson’s increased from 1999 to 2022. Male gender, White race, Southern region, and older ages were associated with higher mortality compared to other groups. Deaths at home decreased and hospice deaths increased during the study period. Conclusions: This study highlights the increasing rate of PD AAMR and how it may become even more prevalent with time, emphasizing the value of increasing knowledge surrounding the disease and its trends to better prepare health systems and individual families for the burden of PD.