ARRHYTHMIA mortality among older adults with coexisting cerebrovascular disease showed a recent increase in the United States, with a nationwide analysis identifying substantial demographic and geographic disparities in deaths over a 25-year period.
Researchers analysed mortality data from 1999 to 2023 for adults aged 65 years and older in whom both arrhythmia and cerebrovascular disease were recorded on the death certificate. The study identified 733,476 deaths during the study period.
Overall age-adjusted mortality rates remained relatively stable, increasing from 72.14 per 100,000 population in 1999 to 74.62 per 100,000 in 2023. However, the pattern was not uniform across the study period.
A significant increase was observed between 2018 and 2021, when age-adjusted mortality rates rose from 65.51 to 80.44 per 100,000 population.
The findings suggest that although long-term mortality trends appeared broadly stable, more recent years were characterised by a marked rise in deaths associated with arrhythmia and cerebrovascular disease.
Women accounted for more deaths overall than men, with 443,233 versus 290,243 deaths. However, men consistently experienced higher age-adjusted mortality rates throughout the study period.
In men, rates increased from 73.97 to 81.27 per 100,000 population between 1999 and 2023, whereas rates among women declined slightly from 70.22 to 69.20 per 100,000 population.
When stratified by race and ethnicity, non-Hispanic White individuals experienced the largest mortality burden, accounting for 631,483 deaths and reaching an age-adjusted mortality rate of 87.43 per 100,000 population in 2021.
A significant increase over time was observed among non-Hispanic American Indian individuals, whose mortality rate rose from 40.15 to 74.86 per 100,000 population.
Regional differences were also evident. The South recorded the highest number of deaths, with 251,478 fatalities, while nonmetropolitan areas experienced higher mortality rates than metropolitan areas.
Place-of-death data showed that most deaths occurred in inpatient medical facilities, representing 38.73% of all deaths.
Nursing homes and long-term care settings accounted for 29.70%, highlighting the substantial care needs of this population.
The researchers concluded that mortality related to arrhythmia and cerebrovascular disease has increased in recent years among older adults.
They noted that higher mortality burdens were observed among men, non-Hispanic White populations, residents of the United States’ South, and individuals living in non-metropolitan areas.
The findings support targeted interventions focused on earlier recognition of clinically significant arrhythmias, optimisation of cerebrovascular risk management, and improved integration of acute, long-term, and palliative care services.
Reference
Hemida MF et al. Patterns and trends of mortality in patients with arrhythmia and cerebrovascular disease in the United States: a nationwide analysis of older adults. Sci Rep. 2026;DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-64412-z.
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