Temporal trends and disparities in cardiovascular mortality among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease: A U.S. nationwide analysis

Abstract

While the link between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is established, long-term trends in cardiovascular mortality among IBD patients remain unclear. This nationwide study analyzed U.S. mortality data from 1999–2020 using the CDC’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research. We identified deaths with CVD as the underlying cause and IBD as a contributing factor, calculating age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) by demographic and geographic factors. Among 11,891 CVD deaths linked to IBD, AAMRs declined significantly from 1999 to 2015 (−2.74% annually; p = 0.0064), then plateaued. Post-2015 increases were noted among Black individuals (+23.03%, 2017–2020; p = 0.0416) and men (+27.19%, 2018–2020; p = 0.0100). Mortality was highest among White and non-Hispanic populations, with regional variation. Forecasting models project rising mortality through 2040, especially among men and White individuals. These trends highlight persistent disparities and the need for targeted cardiovascular risk reduction in IBD populations.