Trends in obesity‐related ischemic heart disease mortality among adults in the United States from 1999 to 2020

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a critical risk factor for ischemic heart disease (IHD), affecting 42% of the U.S. population. This study examines trends in obesity-related IHD mortality among U.S. adults aged 25 and older from 1999 to 2020, using the CDC WONDER database. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed IHD as the primary cause and obesity as a contributing factor, calculating age-adjusted (AAMRs) and crude mortality rates (CMRs) per 100,000 individuals. Joinpoint regression assessed annual percent changes (APC), stratifying by race, sex, age, and region. RESULTS: From 1999 to 2020, 139,644 obesity-related IHD deaths were recorded. AAMR rose from 1.92 to 4.69 per 100,000. Rates were higher in men (3.79) than women (2.10), with Black Americans showing the highest AAMR (4.07). Older adults (65+) had the highest CMR (5.73). Nonmetropolitan areas exhibited higher AAMRs (3.47) than metropolitan regions (2.78). States with the highest mortality included Vermont, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Iowa while Alabama, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia had the lowest. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate a 2.5-fold increase in obesity-related IHD mortality, highlighting the need for targeted public health interventions and further research to address this growing public health concern.