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The following is a summary of “HIV mortality trends among the United States population, from 1999–2023: a CDC wonder database study,” published in the March 2025 issue of Infectious Diseases by Ekpendu et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze HIV-related mortality trends among US residents by demographic characteristics and association with the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI).  

They extracted data from the multiple causes of death files in the CDC WONDER database. HIV-related deaths in the US from 1999 to 2023 were identified using ICD-10 codes (B20-B24). Trends in age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) were analyzed with Joinpoint regression. Crude mortality rates were reported for 10-year increment age groups. Results were presented as average annual percentage changes (AAPC), annual percentage changes (APC) and 95% CI. The SVI data for each county were obtained from the CDC.  

The results showed that between 1999 and 2023, 271,932 individuals with HIV died in the US (AAMR = 3.4 per 100,000; 95% CI: 3.3–3.5). Overall mortality declined annually by −4.34% (95% CI: −5.25, −3.41). Higher mortality trends were observed in males aged 45–54 years, with increases in those aged 65 and above, African Americans, the South Region, and large metropolitan areas. States in the top 90th percentile included the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, Louisiana, New York, and Georgia. Within Florida, Union County and Miami-Dade were most affected, with Florida ranking second after the District of Columbia. The SVI was strongly associated with HIV mortality across US counties.  

Investigators concluded that OA HIV mortality in the US reduced between 1999 and 2023, differing trends across racial and ethnic groups underscored the necessity for improved public health monitoring to pinpoint vulnerable populations and regions for focused interventions. 

Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23744235.2025.2477700