Prevalence and factors associated with cardiometabolic multimorbidity: a cross-sectional study in older adults of the first Brazilian hypertension registry.

Background: Cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM-MM) is defined as the coexistence of at least two of the following conditions: diabetes mellitus (DM), myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke (ST). Data on the prevalence of CM-MM and its associated factors are scarce in Brazil.

Objectives: To analyse the prevalence of CM-MM and its associated factors in a population of Brazilian adults aged ≥ 65 years with hypertension.

Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study from 2013 to 2015 using data from the first Brazilian Hypertension Registry (BHR). Participants were recruited from 45 public and private healthcare services in all regions of Brazil. CM-MM was the main outcome measure, analysed according to clinical and sociodemographic factors. Descriptive and association analyses were performed to compare CM-MM and the other parameters.

Results: We analysed data from 1,033 individuals. The prevalence of CM-MM was 8.9%, with higher rates among males, participants self-declared as White, and those in the 65-69 years age group. DM (32.7%) was the most prevalent single condition. Dyslipidaemia (70.7%), obesity (62%), and uncontrolled blood pressure (44.6%) were also common. Among the combinations of conditions, DM + MI was the most frequent (5.6%). After adjustment, CM-MM was associated with being male, having dyslipidaemia, experiencing heart failure, and undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Chronic kidney disease was not associated with CM-MM.

Conclusions: The prevalence of CM-MM in older people with hypertension was approximately 9%. CM-MM was associated with risk factors such as dyslipidaemia and obesity. These findings show the importance of comprehensive cardiometabolic management to reduce the incidence of CM-MM in this population.