We aim to analyze Parkinson’s disease (PD) and aspiration pneumonia (AP)-related mortality in older adults (≥55) in the United States from 1999 to 2020.

PD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor dysfunction and a gradual decline of voluntary movements. Aspiration pneumonia, often resulting from dysphagia associated with PD, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with the disease. Studying mortality trends offers a valuable understanding of the link between PD and deaths caused by AP.

Death-certificated data was utilized from the CDC WONDER database to analyze the PD and AP-related mortality using the multiple-cause of death MCD-ICD codes (G20, J69.0). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 and Annual percentage changes (APCs) along with 95% CI were calculated using the Joinpoint Regression and stratified by gender, race, census region, and place of death.

From 1999 to 2020, there were 850,732 PD-related deaths 1,237,855 AP-related deaths, and 69,598 deaths related to PD and AP. The overall AAMR showed a steady decline from 5.7 in 1999 to 3.6 in 2020. Men showed a consistently higher morality than women from 1999 (AAMR men:10.7 vs women; 2.9) to 2020 (AAMR men:6.4 vs women:1.6). When stratified by race the highest AAMR was noticed in Non-Hispanic (NH) white (4.9) followed by American Indian or Alaska Native (3.8), Asian (3.5) and Hispanics (3.3). The Western region demonstrated the highest AAMR (4.9) while the highest state-level AAMR was noted in Washington (8.3). Most people with PD and AP died in a medical facility (41.4%).

The study shows a significant decline in PD and AP-related mortality from 1999 to 2020, with men and non-Hispanic whites having the highest rates. Most deaths occurred in medical facilities, highlighting the need for improved care for at-risk populations.