Trends in multiple myeloma and cardiovascular disease-related mortality among older adults in the United States, 1999 to 2023: a CDC wonder database analysis

Introduction: Multiple myeloma (MM) is highly associated with cardiovascular complications, and their co-existence significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality, predominantly in older adults. Therefore, we aim to analyze MM and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality trends in older adults from 1999 to 2023 in the United States (U.S). Methods: A retrospective analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database was conducted from 1999 to 2023, including death records of adults (aged 65 ≤) with MM and CVDs. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 population and annual percent changes (APC) in AAMRs were calculated and measured across different demographics and geographies in the U.S. Results: MM and CVD have caused a total of 99,637 deaths. AAMR increased from 9.6 in 1999 to 9.9 in 2023, with a prominent surge noted between 2018 and 2021 (APC: 6.82). Males (12.5) had almost double the AAMR that of females (7.0), while the AAMR of 18.6 was seen in NH African Americans, triple that of other races/ethnicities. Geographically, AAMR was higher in metropolitan areas (9.2) and the Northeast region (10.1). Conclusions: Proper resource distribution and more targeted interventions are needed to address the rising trends in MM and CVD-associated mortality across different geographic and demographic groups.