Trends in the amyloidosis mortality rate in Japan: A nationwide observational study from 1998 to 2019

Abstract

AimDespite the increasing attention that has been paid to amyloidosis in recent years, there have been few reports on amyloidosis mortality and its trends worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the trends in crude and age‐adjusted amyloidosis‐associated mortality rates in Japan from 1998 to 2019.MethodsWe used national Vital Statistics data among older adults aged over 50 years. The data were analyzed using the joinpoint regression program to estimate the long‐term trends and average annual percentage changes (AAPCs).ResultsA total of 9158 amyloidosis‐associated deaths were recorded from 1998 to 2019, of which 56.1% were in men. The crude mortality rate per 1 000 000 older adults aged over 80 years increased from 9.65 to 54.3 among men and from 7.02 to 22.1 among women during the study period. Overall, the AAPCs of age‐adjusted amyloidosis‐associated mortality rates increased significantly over the study period (1.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–2.7%). While the annual percentage change (APC) of age‐adjusted mortality rates in women showed no significant change over the study period, the APC in men markedly increased in the 2013–2019 period (8.2%, 95% CI: 6.0–10.4%).ConclusionsThis study revealed an increasing trend in mortality associated with amyloidosis, and in particular a marked increase in mortality among men over the past 6 years. Considering its high mortality rate and susceptibility to the effects of an increasing population of older adults, amyloidosis deserves more attention from healthcare providers to improve the understanding of diagnosis, clinical treatment, and healthcare planning. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 246–250.