Traumatic brain injuries remain a major cause of death in the United States, but the risk is far from equal across the population.
A large analysis of U.S. death records found especially high death rates among older adults, men, and American Indian and Alaska Native people.
The findings could help health officials focus prevention efforts on groups facing the greatest danger.
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, happens when a blow, bump, or sudden movement of the head interferes with normal brain function.
Some injuries are mild, such as many concussions, while others can cause permanent disability or death. Common causes include falls, vehicle crashes, assaults, and injuries involving suicide.
Researchers examined national mortality information for 2021 to understand who was most affected. That year, 69,473 deaths in the United States involved a traumatic brain injury, equal to about 190 deaths every day. The age-adjusted death rate reached 19.5 deaths per 100,000 people, an increase of 8.8% from 2020.
The study showed a particularly large difference between men and women. Men had a TBI-related death rate of 30.5 per 100,000 people, more than three times the rate among women, which was 9.4 per 100,000. Differences in the causes and severity of injuries may help explain part of this gap.
Age was another important factor. Adults aged 75 and older had the highest rates of TBI-related death, and falls were a major cause in this group. Older people are more likely to fall because of problems with balance, vision, muscle strength, medications, or other health conditions, and they may also have greater difficulty recovering from a serious injury.
The researchers also found striking differences among racial and ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native people had the highest TBI-related death rate, at 31.5 deaths per 100,000. Differences in access to healthcare, living conditions, injury risks, transportation, and other social and economic factors may contribute to such disparities.
Suicide was the leading individual cause of TBI-related deaths in the analysis. Overall, intentional injuries were linked to 30,801 deaths, while unintentional injuries accounted for 37,635 deaths. Children and teenagers younger than 18 accounted for 2,977 TBI-related deaths, or about 4% of the total.
The findings show that preventing brain injury deaths requires more than one approach. For older adults, reducing falls may involve checking medications, improving balance and strength, correcting vision problems, and making homes safer. Other prevention efforts need to address vehicle safety, violence, and the factors associated with suicide risk.
Healthcare workers can also help by identifying people who face greater risks before a serious injury occurs. The researchers said prevention programs should consider the needs and circumstances of individual communities rather than relying on the same approach everywhere. Culturally appropriate programs may be particularly important in communities experiencing disproportionately high death rates.
The study had some limitations. Information recorded on death certificates can sometimes be incomplete or inaccurate, which may affect estimates of how many deaths involved a brain injury. The unusual conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic may also have influenced injury patterns and death rates during this period.
Even with these limitations, the results show that traumatic brain injuries remain an important public health problem in the United States. Understanding which groups face the greatest risks can help guide prevention programs and healthcare resources toward people who may benefit most.
The study was led by Dr. Alexis Peterson of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Brain Injury and provides a detailed picture of TBI-related deaths in the United States during 2021.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about the power of healthy fats for brain health, and wild blueberries can benefit your heart and brain..
For more health information, please see recent studies about how eating nuts can affect your cognitive ability ,and brain foods nourish your mind to outsmart dementia.
Copyright © 2026 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
