(204) Worrisome Cardiac Arrest-Related Mortality Trends in Older Adults in the United States, 1999-2020

Introduction: The U.S. population is aging with concurrent increases in the incidence of Cardiac Arrest burden. However, Cardiac Arrest-related mortality trends based on ethnicity, Gender, and Region among adults ≥ 65 years have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the Gender, Racial, and Regional differences in Cardiac Arrest-related mortality among older adults in the United States.

Methods: Death certificates from the CDC WONDER (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research) database were examined from 1999 to 2020 for Cardiac Arrest-related mortality in adults ≥ 65 years of age. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 persons were calculated and stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, and geographic region.

Results: Between 1999 and 2020, 273,906 Cardiac Arrest-related primary deaths occurred among adults aged ≥65 years. Men had higher AAMR than women (AAMR women: 26.4 (95% CI: 26.3-26.5) vs men: 33.8 (95% CI:33.6-33.9)). In Ethnicities, Black or African American adults had the highest overall AAMR 49.7 (95% CI: 49.2-50.2), followed by White 28 (95% CI:27.9-28.1), Asian or Pacific Islander 23.7 (95% CI: 23.2-24.2), and American Indian or Alaska Native 15.6 (95% CI:14.5-16.7). AAMR also varied substantially by region (overall AAMR: South 40.2; Northeast 34.8; Midwest 23.7; West 13). Males living in Southern states had the most overall mortality rate for Cardiac Arrest related deaths.

Conclusions: Cardiac Arrest-related mortality in U.S. adults aged ≥65 years has continuously increased since 1999. The highest AAMRs were observed among African American or Black males and among patients living in the Southern and Northeast regions of the United States. Targeted strategies are needed to prevent and treat Cardiovascular pathologies among older adults to curb increasing levels of Cardiac Arrest-related mortality. Various factors like diet, BMI, sedentary lifestyle, and comorbidities play a part in increasing the risk for Cardiac Arrests. An emphasis should be placed on controlling the modifiable risk factors in these populations which are high-risk.