Abstract Body: Background: Although Asian adults have the lowest cardiovascular disease (CVD) death rate in the US, prior research has shown important within-group variability for Asian subgroups through 2017. Recent data that examine death rates across CVD subtypes for Asian subgroups are needed to inform clinical and public health practice.
Methods: We identified CVD deaths among US adults aged ≥18 years from the National Vital Statistics System using International Classification of Diseases, 10^th Revision codes and classified them into 7 non-mutually exclusive CVD subtypes listed as the underlying or contributing cause of death. Annual age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) from 2018 to 2022 were calculated using U.S. Census 2000 standard population. Rate ratios (RRs) compared ASMR for adults in 6 non-Hispanic Asian subgroups to non-Hispanic Asian adults overall.
Results: From 2018 to 2022, 123,566 CVD deaths occurred among Asian adults overall (79% heart disease, 29% stroke). Filipino adults had higher ASMR than Asian adults overall for all CVD subtypes (Figure), with RRs ranging from 1.09 for ischemic heart disease to 1.42 for valvular heart disease. Asian Indian adults had higher ASMR than Asian adults overall for all CVD subtypes except valvular heart disease and stroke, with RRs ranging from 1.08 for arrhythmia to 1.45 for heart failure. Japanese adults had ASMR that exceeded Asian adults overall for 2 CVD subtypes, with RRs of 1.06 for heart failure and 1.55 for valvular heart disease. Vietnamese adults had a stroke ASMR that was 1.24 times higher than Asian adults overall. Chinese adults and Korean adults had ASMRs that were similar to or lower than Asian adults overall for all CVD subtypes.
Conclusions: CVD ASMRs for Asian adults in aggregate obscure important within-group variability across CVD subtypes, which have different implications for prevention and clinical management. Disaggregating CVD ASMR can identify subpopulations that might benefit from focused strategies to prevent, detect, and manage leading causes of death.