# Demographic and geographic hotspots of Alzheimer’s disease and pneumonia-related mortality among older adults in the United States: a retrospective analysis

## TL;DR

This study identifies demographic and geographic hotspots for Alzheimer's and pneumonia deaths in older U.S. adults from 1999 to 2023.

## Contribution

The study reveals significant disparities in mortality rates linked to Alzheimer’s and pneumonia across demographics and geography in the U.S.

## Key findings

- Age-adjusted mortality rates declined significantly from 1999 to 2023.
- Males, non-Hispanic Whites, and those aged 85+ had the highest mortality rates.
- Non-metropolitan and western regions had peak mortality rates.

## Abstract

Older patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are more susceptible to pneumonia because of their limited mobility, malnourishment, and difficulty swallowing. This study highlights demographic and geographic while examining AD and pneumonia-related mortality rates among older adults in the United States (U.S.) between 1999 and 2023.

Retrospective cohort research utilized mortality data from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC-WONDER). Demographic factors (age, gender, race/ethnicity) and geographic classifications (urbanization, regions, states) were examined during the analysis. We used joinpoint regression and standardization techniques to determine age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) and annual percentage changes (APC).

A total of 202,678 AD and pneumonia-related deaths were reported. Overall AAMR declined significantly from 1999 to 2023 (APC − 6.65; P < 0.05). From demographics males (22), non-Hispanic (NH) Whites (20.8), individuals aged 85 + years (98.3) had the highest mortality rates. Geographically, residents of non-metropolitan (25.6) and west regions (26.9) represented peak rates.

We observed notable demographic and geographic disparities in AD and pneumonia associated mortality, the burden of which is higher among males, NH Whites and those residing in non-metropolitan regions and therefore we emphasize the need of targeted interventions and equitable resource allocation to reduce this burden especially among high-risk populations.