Why the study?
Despite the established relationship between HTN and AF, comprehensive nationwide evidence on mortality trends and demographic disparities in the United States was lacking.
Mortality related to hypertension and atrial fibrillation has increased significantly in the US from 1999 to 2020, with notable disparities across gender, race, and geographic regions.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May warrant closer comorbidity monitoring; extends US trends while leaving causal drivers and interventions open.
Background: Hypertension (HTN) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are prevalent cardiovascular disorders that significantly increase the risk of serious complications such as stroke and heart failure, leading to elevated mortality rates. Despite the established relationship between HTN and AF, there is a lack of comprehensive evidence on mortality trends and disparities across various demographic groups in the United States. Objectives: This study aims to analyze the nationwide mortality trends due to HTN-AF from 1999 to 2020 and to identify disparities across different demographics. The goals include understanding the impact of HTN-AF on public health and informing targeted screening and therapeutic strategies. Methods: Data on mortality figures related to HTN and AF were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database. The analysis included age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) and crude mortality rates (CMR) stratified by gender, age, race/ethnicity, and geographic regions. The Joinpoint software was used to analyze temporal trends in age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR). Data were obtained from publicly available multiple causes of death records via the CDC WONDER database. Results: From 1999 to 2020, the AAMR due to hypertension-attributable factors rose sharply from 2.89 to 23.98 per 100,000 (APC: 4.8 %). Males had higher AAMRs than females, with Black or African American populations seeing the steepest increases. Regionally, the West had the highest AAMR, and rural areas experienced the most significant rise, with micropolitan areas showing the highest APC. Conclusion: HTN-AF mortality has been increasing steadily across all genders, races, and regions. The study underscores the importance of improving healthcare policies, bridging coverage gaps, and enhancing education and awareness to curb these alarming trends. Addressing the disparities in healthcare access and promoting cardiovascular health initiatives are crucial for reducing HTN-AF-related mortality.
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Khan et al. (2025) studied this question.
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