The role of lifestyle in the progression of cardiometabolic disease: A retrospective cohort study

Objectives

We aimed to explore the impact of lifestyle factors (LFs) on the transition from no cardiometabolic disease (CMD) to first CMD, subsequently to cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM), and then to death.

Study design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

The data from the annual health checkup database for residents of the Electronic Health Management Center in Xinzheng, China. A total of 100,231 participants aged ≥40 years who were free of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), ischemic heart disease (IHD), and stroke at baseline were enrolled. CMM was defined as ≥2 diseases of T2DM, IHD, and stroke. We used multi-state models to explore the impact of LFs (smoking, drinking, dietary habits, physical activity, and body size) in different stages of CMD progression.

Results

During a mean follow-up of 4.19 years, 47272 participants developed at least one CMD, 10734 developed CMM, and 13378 died afterward. The hazard ratios (95 % confidence intervals) for each additional high-risk lifestyle factor for transitions from no CMD to first CMD and from first CMD to CMM were 1.44 (1.43–1.46) and 1.14 (1.12,1.17), while those for the risk of death for transitions from no CMD, first CMD, and CMM were 1.16 (0.92,1.46), 1.12 (1.06,1.17) and 1.25 (1.20,1.30). When first CMDs were further subdivided into T2DM, IHD, and stroke, we found that even at the same transition stage, the five high-risk LFs had different impacts on disease-specific transitions.

Conclusions

Our findings emphasize the importance of incorporating comprehensive lifestyle interventions into the management of CMD in middle-aged and older adults.