There has been a significant decline in the overall rate of acute MI(AMI)-related deaths during the past
20 years, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. Muchi
Ditah Chobufo, MD, and colleagues analyzed information from the CDC (1999 to 2020) to calculate ethnic-specific
age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 people and examine contemporary racial trends in
AMI-related deaths in the United States. They identified a monotonous, statistically significant decline
in AMI-related mortality for all ethnic groups from 1999 to 2019, with an uptick in 2020. The AMI AAMR
decreased from 87.4 per 100,000 in 1999 to 38.2 per 100,000 in 2020, with an average annual percentage
change (AAPC) of −4.9%. For Whites, the AAMR decreased from 86.7 in 1999 to 38.0 in 2020 compared with
104.1 to 46.0 in African Americans. The AAPC was −4.3% for Whites and −4.7% for African Americans, which
were both statistically significant. “I think the reasons are multifactorial, spanning all the way from
health-promoting and prevention activities through treatment during and after a heart attack,” Dr.
Chobufo said.
