Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Abstract
Background: Stroke associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of mortality. This CDC analysis delves into mortality trends due to stroke in AF patients aged ≥ 25 years, from 1999 to 2020. By analyzing extensive datasets we scrutinized how factors such as gender, race, region of residence, and level of urbanization intersect with mortality rates.
Methods: Death data from 1999 to 2020 was analyzed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database, employing ICD codes I48 for AF and I64 for stroke. Age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) per 100,000 people with 95% confidence intervals was calculated for the total population, stratified by gender, race, urban/rural status, and census region. The Joinpoint regression software was used to calculate annual percentage change (APC) trend for each stratification.
Results: In the U.S. between 1999 and 2020, total of 331,106 deaths occurred among adults due to AF associated with stroke. Deaths occurred predominantly in medical facilities (43.2%). The overall AAMR for AF associated stroke decreased from 26.8 per 100,000 in 1999 to 18.4 in 2020, with an AAPC of -2.05 (p value < 0.000001). Additionally, AAMR declined significantly from 1999 to 2018 (APC: -2.65, p value = 0.012398), followed by an increase from 2018 to 2020 (APC: 3.90, p value = 0.220356). Women had slightly higher AAMRs compared to men (men: 6.6; women: 7.1). The AAMR for women reduced substantially from 1999 to 2020 than for men. AAMRs varied among racial/ethnic groups, with White patients having the highest AAMR (7.4), followed by Blacks (5.4), American Indian or Alaska Natives (4.6), Asian or Pacific Islanders (4.5), and Hispanic population (4.1). AAMRs decreased for all races except for Black population. Geographically, AAMRs ranged from 4.3 in Nevada to 11.9 in Vermont, with the Western region showing the highest mortality (AAMR: 7.9). Nonmetropolitan areas had slightly higher AAMRs than metropolitan areas, with both experiencing a decrease over the study period.
Conclusion: This analysis depicts significant disparities in mortality rates attributed to stroke associated with AF and underscores the need for larger population-based studies to further understand the primary factors influencing the observed geographical, racial, and gender differences. Targeted interventions and equitable healthcare access are crucial to mitigate these disparities and improve outcomes for this population.