P5052 - Gastric Varices Mortality Rate Trends the United States: Two-Decade Analysis Based on US Death Certificates

Hasan Al-Obaidi, MD¹, Hussein Harb, ², Pratiksha Moliya, MD³, Ibrahim Nabous, MD⁴, Leith Ghani, DO⁵, Najlaa Al-Sudani, MD⁶, Sana Rabeeah, MD⁷, Mustafa Al-Obaidi, MD^8
1Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Briarwood, NY; ²Ross University School of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY; ³Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Edison, NJ; ⁴Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Elmont, NY; ⁵Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ; ⁶Memorial Hermann Health System, Sugar Land, TX; ⁷University of Toledo, Toledo, OH; ⁸Lund University, Malmö, Skane Lan, Sweden

Introduction: Gastric varices (GV), which are dilated submucosal collateral veins arising from portal hypertension, are a significant cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Affecting about 20% of patients with liver cirrhosis, GV poses a severe risk due to its high mortality rate, surpassing that of esophageal variceal bleeding. This study delves into the mortality rates associated with gastric varices in the United States over the past twenty years. By analyzing extensive data from American death certificates, the research sheds light on the prevalence of the disease, notable demographic differences, and evolving trends over time.

Methods: This study leveraged the CDC WONDER database to analyze mortality rate trends from 1999 to 2021, with a particular focus on deaths caused by gastric varices. The abstract examined all recorded fatalities linked to gastric varices in the United States during this timeframe. R software version 4.2.2 was used for data analysis and visualization, utilizing the ggplot2 package to generate all graphical representations.

Results: From 1999 to 2022, the mortality rate of gastric varices per 100,000 showed no significant change, with both the starting and ending mortality rate at 0.010. When categorized by state, mortality rates were slightly higher in states with major cities, and states with higher populations had a greater number of deaths. Stratification by gender revealed a small but consistent increase in gastric variceal mortality among males compared to females throughout the study period. Data for individuals under 55 years old was sparse and inconsistent across the analyzed time period due to limited data points. The age range of 65-74 showed a slightly higher mortality rate in 2018 and 2022 compared to the age range of 55-64.

Discussion: Our research reveals that over the past 23 years, higher mortality rates from gastric varices were consistently observed in males compared to females and in patients over 65 years old compared to younger patients. Due to the low number of recorded deaths secondary to gastric varices, no conclusion could be made when stratifying mortality by race. Significantly, there has been no improvement in mortality rates since 1999, despite considerable advancements in medical treatments. This study highlights areas for potential advancements in research, policy implementation, and focused interventions to reduce mortality secondary to gastric varices.



Disclosures:


Hasan Al-Obaidi, MD¹, Hussein Harb, ², Pratiksha Moliya, MD³, Ibrahim Nabous, MD⁴, Leith Ghani, DO⁵, Najlaa Al-Sudani, MD⁶, Sana Rabeeah, MD⁷, Mustafa Al-Obaidi, MD⁸. P5052 - Gastric Varices Mortality Rate Trends the United States: Two-Decade Analysis Based on US Death Certificates, ACG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Philadelphia, PA: American College of Gastroenterology.