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Mortality resulting from blood dyscrasias in the United States, 1984
L K Hine1, B B Gerstman, R P Wise
1Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Maryland.
Insights
In 1984, rare blood dyscrasias caused 4,490 deaths in the U.S. Aplastic anemia was the leading cause, with mortality increasing significantly after age 35.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Blood dyscrasias are uncommon yet severe hematological disorders.
- Accurate mortality data is crucial for understanding disease burden.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the mortality burden of four specific blood dyscrasias in the United States for 1984.
- To analyze age-related mortality patterns for these conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized national death certificate data from 1984.
- Calculated mortality rates per million population for the U.S.
Main Results:
- A total of 4,490 deaths were attributed to the studied blood dyscrasias (18.9 per million U.S. population).
- Aplastic anemia was the most frequent cause, followed by thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis, and hemolytic anemia.
- Mortality rates showed a small peak in young children, decreased in young adults, and increased exponentially after age 35.
Conclusions:
- Blood dyscrasias represent a significant cause of mortality, particularly in older adults.
- While direct drug causality couldn't be confirmed, an estimated 30% of fatal cases may be drug-induced, totaling approximately 1,350 deaths in 1984.
Abstract:
Blood dyscrasias are rare but serious diseases. We used national death certificate data for the year 1984 to estimate the number and rate of deaths caused by four blood dyscrasias. These diseases contributed to 4,490 deaths, corresponding to a mortality rate of 18.9 per million United States population. Aplastic anemia was the most frequent cause of death, followed by thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis, and hemolytic anemia. Mortality rates varied by age, with a small peak in young children, lower rates for ages five through 34 years, and exponentially increasing rates beyond 35 years of age. Although drug relatedness could not be reliably ascertained from our data, other surveys have estimated that approximately 30% of fatal blood dyscrasias are caused by therapeutic drugs. Assuming that 30% drug attribution also applies to the U.S. population as a whole, approximately 1,350 blood dyscrasia deaths in the U.S. in 1984 may have been caused by drugs.
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