AHA: Obesity-Linked Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality Increasing in U.S.

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- In the United States, obesity-related ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality is increasing, with the highest rates seen among men, Blacks, and those in the Midwest, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.

Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research database, Aleenah Mohsin, M.D., M.B.B.S., from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues examined trends in obesity-related IHD mortality in the United States from 1999 to 2020, paying particular attention to racial, local, regional, age, and gender differences in these trends.

The researchers identified 226,267 deaths due to obesity-related IHD from 1999 to 2020. During the study period, there was a uniform increase in the age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR), with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 5.03. Men had a higher AAMR than women overall (3.9 versus 2.2). Men also had a more prominent incline in mortality rates (AAPC, 5.11), especially those men aged 55 to 64 years (AAMR, 8.5). The highest age-adjusted mortality was seen among Black patients (3.93 deaths per 100,000 people). Significant geographical differences were noted, with the highest mortality seen in Midwestern states (AAMR, 3.3); specifically, Vermont had the highest and Alabama the lowest AAMR (10.4 and 1.5, respectively). Compared with metropolitan areas, nonmetropolitan areas had higher AAMRs (4.0 versus 2.9).

"Our findings underscore the need to explore the underlying causes of these disparities, such as differences in health care access, socioeconomic factors and regional health policies," Mohsin said in a statement.

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