To identify epidemiological trends and mortality rates of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database.

GBS is an autoimmune polyradiculoneuropathy with a significant mortality rate. Identifying epidemiological trends could help identify populations with a higher mortality risk who could benefit from targeted strategies.

From 1999-2020, a retrospective observational analysis was conducted using CDC WONDER data. Aggregate mortality rates were calculated using age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 people for all ages. Crude mortality rates (CMR) per 100,000 people were extracted for individuals aged ≥45 . The annual percentage change (APC) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated and stratified by year, demographic, and geographic factors.

The AAMR declined from 0.143 in 1999 to 0.108 in 2014 (APC: -2.25, 95% CI: -3.54 to -1.39), subsequently rising to 0.151 in 2020 (APC: 4.68, 95% CI: 1.47 to 12.01). The overall CMR increased with age, reaching the highest at 1.398 for individuals aged ≥85 and the lowest at 0.091 for those aged 45-54. From 1999 (AAMR men: 0.211, AAMR women: 0.107) to 2020 (AAMR men: 0.21, AAMR women: 0.119), males had a consistently higher AAMR than women. Non-core counties had the highest overall AAMR at 0.157 while large fringe counties had the lowest (AAMR: 0.108). The South census region had the highest overall AAMR at 0.145, while the Northeast had the lowest at 0.097.

An increase has been observed in mortality related to GBS since 2014 with the highest mortality rates observed among older men, patients living in non-metro counties, and the south census region. In these specific populations, interventions, including intensive monitoring, may help lower the mortality risk associated with GBS.