Journal of Blood Medicine (Aug 2024)

Causes of Death and Mortality Trends in Individuals with Thalassemia in the United States, 1999-2020

  • Tan JY,
  • Yeo YH,
  • Chan KH,
  • Shaaban HS,
  • Guron G

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 331 – 339

Abstract

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Jia Yi Tan,1 Yong Hao Yeo,2 Kok Hoe Chan,3 Hamid S Shaaban,4 Gunwant Guron4 1Department of Internal Medicine, New York Medical College at Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, NJ, USA; 2Department of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, Corewell Health, Royal Oak, MI, USA; 3Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston), Houston, TX, USA; 4Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, New York Medical College at Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, NJ, USA Correspondence: Kok Hoe Chan, Division of Hematology/Oncology, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin St, Houston, TX, 77030, Email [email protected]: Our study aims to describe the mortality trends and disparities among individuals with thalassemia in the United States (US).Patients and Methods: We used CDC WONDER database to calculate the age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 1,000,000 individuals and used the Joinpoint Regression Program to measure the average annual percent change (AAPC). Subgroup evaluations were performed by sex, age, race, census region, and urbanization level.Results: From 1999 to 2020, there were 2797 deaths relatd to thalassemia in the US. The AAMR of thalassemia-related death showed a decreasing trend from 0.50 (95% CI, 0.41– 0.58) in 1999 to 0.48 (95% CI, 0.41– 0.55) in 2020 with the AAPC of − 1.42 (95% CI, − 2.42, − 0.42). Asians have the highest AAMR (1.34 [95% CI, 1.20– 1.47]), followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (0.65 [95% CI, 0.59– 0.71]), non-Hispanic Whites (0.32 [95% CI, 0.30– 0.33]), and Hispanics (0.11 [95% CI, 0.08– 0.14]). Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among individuals with thalassemia. The urban population has a higher AAMR than the rural population (0.43 [95% CI, 0.41– 0.45] vs 0.29 [95% CI, 0.26– 0.32]).Conclusion: Our study calls for targeted interventions to address the racial and geographic disparities existed among individuals of thalassemia in the US.Keywords: thalassemia, beta-thalassemia, alpha-thalassemia, epidemiology, mortality

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