Widespread recent increases in county-level heart disease mortality across age groups

Abstract

Purpose: Recent national trends show decelerating declines in heart disease mortality, especially among younger adults. National trends may mask variation by geography and age. We examined recent county-level trends in heart disease mortality by age group.

Methods: Using a Bayesian statistical model and National Vital Statistics Systems data, we estimated overall rates and percent change in heart disease mortality from 2010 through 2015 for four age groups (35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years) in 3098 US counties.

Results: Nationally, heart disease mortality declined in every age group except ages 55-64 years. County-level trends by age group showed geographically widespread increases, with 52.3%, 58.5%, 69.1%, and 42.0% of counties experiencing increases with median percent changes of 0.6%, 2.2%, 4.6%, and -1.5% for ages 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years, respectively. Increases were more likely in counties with initially high heart disease mortality and outside large metropolitan areas.

Conclusions: Recent national trends have masked local increases in heart disease mortality. These increases, especially among adults younger than age 65 years, represent challenges to communities across the country. Reversing these trends may require intensification of primary and secondary prevention-focusing policies, strategies, and interventions on younger populations, especially those living in less urban counties.

Keywords: Age groups; Geography; Heart diseases; Mortality decline; Mortality rates.

Fig. 1

County-level heart disease mortality rates* and percent change^† by age group, United States, 2010–2015. *Heart disease death rates for 2015 are categorized by sextiles based on the distribution of county rates for each age group. †Percent change in heart disease death rates are categorized using a common classification across age groups. The percent of counties within each category is shown in parentheses in the legend.