ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026A627 NATIONAL AND SUBNATIONAL TRENDS OF MORTALITY AND YEARS OF LIFE LOST DUE TO STROKE AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN CHINA, 2005-2020

Abstract Background and aims Despite the accelerating population aging in China, studies focused on stroke burden in the elderly remain limited. We aimed to evaluate the trends in stroke-related death burden among older adults in China. Methods Using data from National Mortality Surveillance System, we quantified the counts and age-standardized rates for mortality and years of life lost (YLL) of stroke among adults aged 65 years and older in China and its provinces during 2005-2020. Results During 2005-2020, the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of stroke among older adults decreased from 1,327.30/100,000 to 1,000.69/100,000, accompanied by a 26.58% reduction in YLL rate. Among subtypes, ASMR decreased by 48.08% for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and 7.57% for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), whereas that for ischemic stroke (IS) increased by 1.24%. In 2020, the ASMRs for IS, ICH, and SAH were 610.52, 357.86, and 32.32 per 100,000, respectively, with IS exhibiting the highest rate. The ASMRs of stroke were consistently higher in males than in females. Notably, the mortality rate of IS increased by 10.66% among individuals aged 80+ years during 2005-2020. Among the subgroups, increases in IS mortality were recorded among males aged 75-79 years, males aged 80+ years, and females aged 80+ years, with rises of 1.95%, 17.79%, and 5.02%, respectively. In 2020, the highest ASMR of stroke was observed in Tibet, Anhui, and Shaanxi. Conclusions The substantial burden of IS persists among older adults in China. The increased IS mortality among males aged 75+ years and females aged 80+ years warrants particular attention. Conflict of interest Zixin Wang, Jiamin Li, Yun Chen, Boyi Yuan, Wan Wang, Qingfeng Ma: nothing to disclose.