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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Aortic stenosis deaths are slowly declining — but not for everyone. A 26-year CDC data analysis found that AS-related mortality dropped modestly from 1999 to 2024, but significant gaps remain across sex, age, race/ethnicity, and geography. The Midwest, rural areas, and adults 85+ actually saw mortality rise, signaling that progress in valve therapies isn't reaching all patients equally.
Over the past quarter century, deaths linked to aortic stenosis (AS) have declined — but only modestly, and not uniformly. A new analysis of CDC WONDER data covering 1999–2024, published in JSCAI, tracked 637,178 AS-related deaths in adults 65 and older, finding an average annual percent change of just -0.23% in the age-adjusted mortality rate. Researchers note the decline likely coincided with broader adoption of transcatheter valve therapies, though causality cannot be confirmed.
The picture gets more complicated when you zoom in. Mortality rose during two distinct windows — 2004–2013 and 2018–2021 (the latter overlapping with COVID-19) — before declining again. And while women and patients aged 75–84 saw meaningful improvements, adults 85 and older experienced rising mortality over the study period.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: AS is a serious and potentially lethal disease, and these findings are a reminder that advances in valve therapy haven't translated equally across all populations. Disparities tied to race, region, and age point to systemic gaps in access, referral patterns, and care infrastructure that warrant closer attention.
