Characteristics and Comorbidities Influencing Mortality Risk Among Hereditary Angioedema Patients

Background: Patients with hereditary angioedema (HA) face a heightened mortality risk due to multiple factors. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify patient demographics or comorbidities associated with higher mortality risk using Bayesian network analysis. Methods: Data from the 2021 Nationwide Inpatient Sample were used to identify hospitalized patients with HA. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and severity measures were analyzed, and a Bayesian network model was developed to assess factors contributing to mortality risk. Structure learning was performed using a directed acyclic graph and probability estimating using Bayesian inference. Model performance was validated using a 70/30 training-testing split and assessed via area under the curve. Results: Older HA patients and those with autoimmune conditions, hypertension, or low income were at higher risk of mortality. Elevated risk was also observed across certain racial groups, insurance types, and income levels. Notably, older Black patients from the Midwest exhibited the highest estimated mortality risk. Conclusion: The Bayesian network demonstrated strong predictive performance, highlighting its potential for identifying high-risk subgroups and supporting targeted clinical interventions.