Trends in Drug-Related Mortality in Adults Aged 40-59 in the United States (2018-2023): A Proxy Analysis of Polypharmacy Using CDC WONDER (Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research).

INTRODUCTION: Drug-related mortality is a crucial public health issue in the United States, especially among middle-aged adults, in whom polypharmacy raises the likelihood of adverse events. This study aims to explore the trends in drug-related deaths among adults aged 40-59 from 2018 to 2023 in the United States, using mortality as an exploratory proxy to investigate the broader implications of polypharmacy. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10)-specific codes from CDC WONDER (Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research). For the years 2018-2023, crude mortality rates were evaluated for middle-aged individuals aged 40-59, classified into five age groups. Yearly trends were assessed to evaluate changes over time. RESULTS: The age group 50-54 consistently demonstrated an elevated crude mortality rate, peaking in 2020. On the contrary, the 40-44 and 55-59 age groups showed lower rates with slight variations, particularly a visible increase was seen in 2020 among most age groups, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by stabilization in the subsequent years. CONCLUSIONS: Drug-related mortality in the United States is a significant issue among middle-aged adults, with the 50-54 age group displaying the highest rates. The noticeable rise in 2020 may indicate pandemic-related aspects, including healthcare accessibility, and a more psychosocial burden. These findings underline the need for focused measures to alleviate polypharmacy risks in this population.