Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease of the elderly, resulting in impaired memory and cognition. The relationship between disordered lipid metabolism and the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease, as suggested by new evidence, hasn't been thoroughly investigated.

Death certificates from the CDC WONDER database were examined from 1999 to 2023 for AD-related mortality (ICD-10: G30) with a comorbid lipid disorder (ICD-10: E78) in adults aged ≥65 years. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 persons and annual percent change (APC) were calculated and stratified by year, sex, race/ethnicity, and geographic region. Joinpoint regression analysis identified significant shifts in mortality trends.

Between 1999 and 2023, 76,569 Alzheimer’s disease–related deaths with comorbid lipid disorders occurred among older adults. The overall AAMR increased from 0.1 in 1999 to 1.61 in 2023. Women had a higher AAMR than men (0.89 vs 0.75). By region, the West had the highest AAMR (1.08), followed by the Midwest (0.86), South (0.81) and Northeast (0.57). By race/ethnicity, White adults had the highest AAMR (0.86), followed by Hispanic (0.84), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.84), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.77) and Black adults (0.72). Nonmetro areas (0.85) exceeded metro areas (0.76). Nearly half of deaths occurred in nursing/long-term care facilities. States like Wyoming (4.58), Vermont (4.01), and North Dakota (2.62) were in the top 95th percentile.

This study shows that AD-related mortality, complicated by lipid disorders among older U.S. citizens, increased significantly from 1999 to 2023 with the highest AAMRs being observed in White adults, women, and the Western United States. So, targeted public health strategies are urgently needed to prevent and treat lipid abnormalities, to reduce the growing mortality burden of AD-related deaths.