Assessing disparity in mortality rates for ischemic heart disease using CDC-WONDER database: A retrospective analysis

Ischemic heart disease remains a leading global cause of death, impacting healthcare systems worldwide. In 2019, 32% of global deaths were estimated to be due to cardiovascular events, accounting for approximately 17.9 million people worldwide. Despite technological advances improving diagnosis and treatment, disparities persist, especially between urban and rural areas.

We conducted a retrospective study using the CDC WONDER database extracted on 17th March 2024, ICD-10 code: I20-I25 (Ischemic Heart Disease). We selected the years 1999-2020: Underlying Cause of Death by Bridged-Race Categories divided based on rural and urban deaths, based on 2013 urbanization classification, and grouped by age (10-year age range), gender, and race.

Our research indicates a consistent decline in ischemic heart disease mortality across urban and rural regions within all demographic groups from 1999 to 2020. However, a notable exception occurred in 2019 when mortality rates increased in both urban and rural settings. Notably, throughout the entire period under study, rural areas consistently exhibited higher mortality rates compared to their urban counterparts.

This study sheds light on the big disparity in mortality rates due to ischemic heart disease in urban versus rural areas in all groups of age, gender, and race. We hope our findings prompt further research to determine the causes of this discrepancy and public health interventions to address it.