National Trends and Disparities in Alzheimer’s Disease–Related Mortality in the United States, 1979–2023: A CDC WONDER Analysis

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represents a growing public health challenge in the United States, yet long-term national mortality trends across demographics remain incompletely characterized. Objective To evaluate temporal trends in AD-related mortality in the U.S. from 1979 to 2023 and examine disparities by sex, race, census region, and state. Methods A population-based, retrospective analysis was conducted using the CDC WONDER Multiple Cause-of-Death database. AD-related deaths were identified using ICD-9-CM code 331.0 (1979–1998) and ICD-10-CM code G30 (1999–2023). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 population were calculated using the 2000 U.S. standard population. Joinpoint regression was applied to estimate annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results From 1979 to 2023, 2,430,795 AD-related deaths were recorded. National AAMRs increased markedly from 2.72 in 1979 to 216.95 in 2023 (AAPC: 10.61; 95% CI: 8.54–12.72; p  < 0.001), with multiple phases of acceleration and recent modest declines after 2016. Women consistently exhibited higher AAMRs than men. White individuals had higher mortality rates than Black individuals throughout the study period, although both groups experienced significant increases. Regionally, the West had the highest AAMRs, followed by the South, Midwest, and Northeast. Substantial state-level heterogeneity was observed, with the steepest increases in Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Conclusions AD-related mortality has risen substantially in the U.S. over the past four decades, with pronounced disparities among demographics. These findings underscore the need for targeted prevention strategies and resource allocation to address the growing and uneven burden of AD mortality.