Background: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains a leading cause of mortality globally. Given rising cardiovascular risk in younger populations, targeted surveillance in specific demographic subgroups is essential. This study examines IHD-related mortality trends among Asian adults aged 25–44 in the United States using CDC WONDER data from 2018 to 2023. Methods: We procured data from the CDC Multiple Cause of Death database. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) for Asian males and females aged 25–44 years were calculated using ICD-10 codes for ischemic heart disease (I20–I25). Temporal trends in AAMRs were analyzed using Joinpoint regression to estimate average annual percent changes (APCs) by sex and overall. Piecewise linear regression was used to identify trend shifts, with a focus on changes before and after 2020. Results: From 2018–2023, 1,799 ischemic heart disease (IHD) deaths occurred among young Asian adults (271 females, 1,528 males). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) ranged from 4.4–5.5 per 100,000, peaking in 2020. Males had consistently higher AAMRs (8.1–9.7) than females (1.1–1.9). Joinpoint regression showed a nonsignificant upward trend in females (APC +3.7%, p=0.09) and a stable trend in males (APC +0.0%, p=0.99). No significant change was seen overall (APC +0.7%, p=0.72). A significant decline in females was observed after 2020 (p=0.0408), followed by a nonsignificant rise post-2022 (p=0.3520). Significant post-2020 declines were also seen in males (p=0.0193) and the total population (p=0.0152) Fig 1. Conclusion: IHD mortality among young Asian adults remained largely unchanged, although slightly upward trend in females is observed at break points in 2022 which is non significant. Ongoing surveillance and research are needed to identify emerging sex-specific risk factors and inform early prevention strategies.
Yartha et al. (Tue,) studied this question.