Brain and Behavior · Nov 9, 2026

Trends and Disparities in Peripheral Artery Disease and Dementia‐Related Mortality in the United States, 1999–2024

By Ahmad N, Hassan ST, Hameed H et al.

Background: Cardiovascular risk factors are common among individuals with both peripheral artery disease (PAD) and dementia, and these co‐existing conditions are a major public health problem. Our goal is to assess nationwide mortality trends and disparities associated with concomitant PAD and dementia in the United States between 1999 and 2024. Methods: This is a population‐based analysis using the CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death database to assess adults aged 65 years and older. Death certificates that mentioned both PAD and dementia were included. Age‐adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) and annual percent changes (APCs) were calculated to study the national trends by demographic and geographic subgroups. Results: There were 317,390 deaths among patients who had both PAD and dementia. The overall AAMR was fairly stable over the study period, rising marginally from 23.97 in 1999 to 24.22 in 2024. AAMRs were higher in non‐Hispanic African Americans across racial and ethnic groups and peaked in non‐metropolitan regions. The sensitivity analyses showed that mortality rates that were driven by PAD significantly declined (AAPC: −4.77) and rates driven by dementia (AAPC: 3.77) increased significantly over the 25‐year period. Conclusions: Overall, the age‐standardized mortality for concomitant PAD and dementia was largely stable, but there are still important geographical and demographic differences. The mortality curves when divided by underlying cause of death show that deaths due to PAD have decreased, while deaths due to dementia have risen in the United States among older adults over the study period.

doi.org/10.1002/brb3.71912Open accessPubMed 43002141Populations