Racial Differences and Temporal Trends in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related
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Objective
The objectives of this study were to examine racial differences and temporal trends in Alzheimer’s disease (AD)- and Parkinson’s disease (PD)-related mortality among U.S. adults and to assess whether racial mortality patterns and temporal changes differed.
Methods
We analyzed CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death data from 2018-2024, where mortality was defined as deaths with AD or PD recorded as an underlying or contributing cause. Age-standardized mortality rates and adjusted mortality rate ratios (MRRs) were estimated. Joint-point regression evaluated racial differences, annual percentage changes (APCs), and disease-race-year interactions. Sensitivity analyses assessed the robustness of the findings.
Results
Black had significantly lower PD-related mortality than White (adjusted mortality rate ratios [MRRs]: 0.62-0.69; all p<0.001), whereas AD-related mortality showed no significant racial differences (MRRs: 0.91-1.06). Compared with 2018, mortality increased significantly in 2020 for both diseases among White adults (AD: MRR=1.21; PD: MRR=1.27) and Black adults (AD: MRR=1.27; PD: MRR=1.37), followed by partial declines. PD-related mortality increased significantly among White adults during 2018-2023 (annual percentage change [APC]=3.08%; 95% CI: 1.15%-5.05%), whereas trends among Black adults (APC=3.51%; 95% CI: -2.94% to 10.39%) and AD-related mortality trends in both racial groups were not statistically significant. The disease-race-year interaction was not significant (p=0.942), indicating insufficient evidence that temporal mortality patterns differed jointly.
Conclusions
Recorded PD-related mortality was lower among Black than White adults, whereas AD-related mortality showed no statistically significant racial difference. These findings support disease-specific mortality surveillance and further investigation of potential differences in diagnostic recognition and death-certificate documentation.
