Document resource
Introduction Infective endocarditis (IE) imposes significant global health and socioeconomic burden due to the associated morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and mortality. As a result, it is of importance to evaluate the temporal trends in the mortality of IE in the United Kingdom (UK) to enable effective risk stratification and implementation of health policy measures.Methods Temporal trends in the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of infective endocarditis in the UK, across the 4 nations (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), over the period of 1990–2019 was evaluated by retrieving data from the Global Burden of Disease database. The Annual Percent Change (APC) and the Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) were calculated using Joinpoint analysis software.Results Over the period 1990–2019, an estimated total of 32,305 IE-related deaths with a 55.8% female predominance were reported in the UK. A statistically significant increase in IE-related ASMR was noted in the UK with an AAPC of 5.64 (95%CI 5.39 to 5.87, p<0.001). Further analysis revealed statistically significant incline in IE-related ASMR across the 4 nations with Wales encountering the highest increase (AAPC 6.86, 95%CI 6.50 to 7.25, p<0.001) followed by England (AAPC 5.69, 95%CI 5.44 to 5.91, p<0.001), Scotland (AAPC 5.18, 95%CI 4.87 to 5.49, p<0.001), and Northern Ireland (AAPC 3.88, 95%CI 3.39 to 4.37, p<0.001). Across England, all regions witnessed a statistically significant increase in the ASMR with Yorkshire and the Humber encountering the most prominent increase with an AAPC of 6.00 (95%CI 5.77 to 6.21, p<0.001), followed by South West England (AAPC 5.94, 95%CI 5.68 to 6.16, p<0.001), and North East England (AAPC 5.90, 95%CI 5.67 to 6.12, p<0.001). Greater London encountered the lowest increase with an AAPC of 5.07 (95%CI 4.82 to 5.30, p<0.001).Conclusion Over a span of 3 decades, the United Kingdom encountered a statistically significant increase in infective endocarditis-related mortality across all of it nations and regions. These worrisome findings warrant prompt recognition and action to effective tackle the resultant burden.