Key result
Stroke linked to ~268% higher odds of poor self-rated health in T2D adults.
Why the study?
Type 2 diabetes often co-occurs with multiple chronic conditions, prompting an analysis of comorbidities and their burden on self-rated general health to identify the strongest predictors of poor health.
Cross-Sectional (n=7,619)
Yes
Odds Ratio: 3.684 (95% CI 2.501–5.425)
In adults with type 2 diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease are the strongest predictors of self-rated poor health, highlighting the profound impact of vascular complications on patient quality of life.
Stroke and CHD most strongly associate with poor self-rated health in type 2 diabetes; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective studies before informing care.
Introduction and Objective: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) often co-occurs with multiple chronic conditions. In our study, we analyzed comorbidities and their associated burden on self-rated general health in adults with T2D to corroborate the strongest predictors of poor health. Methods: We analyzed 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for adults with T2D who reported general health as excellent/very good/good (good) or poor; respondents reporting fair health were excluded, giving us a cohort of 7,619 individuals. Analyses incorporated survey weights and complex design. Chi-square tests compared comorbidity prevalence. Multivariable logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for poor vs good health. Random forest approaches were used to corroborate predictor importance for poor health classification. Results: Poor health was reported by 15.91% (n=1,212/7,619) of adults with T2D. Compared to good health, poor health was associated with higher prevalence of depressive disorder (45.67% vs 17.16%) and blindness/vision difficulty (21.56% vs 5.80%), as well as stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, asthma, feet sores, hearing loss, arthritis, and cancer. In adjusted models, stroke had the strongest association with poor health (OR 3.684, 95% CI 2.501-5.425), followed by CHD (OR 3.553, 2.428-5.199), COPD (OR 2.563, 1.831-3.587), kidney disease (OR 2.459, 1.695-3.568), asthma (OR 2.170, 1.583-2.977), and vision difficulty (OR 2.416, 1.612-3.622). In random forest analyses, COPD and CHD were the most important comorbid predictors of poor health. Conclusion: Self-rated poor health in adults with T2D marks a high-risk group characterized by substantial vascular and pulmonary comorbidity and frequent visual, mental health, and physical health complications. Incorporating general health status into routine assessment may enable practical risk stratification and trigger integrating screening and prevention strategies to reduce avoidable complications. Disclosure M. Noorani: None. E. Martins: None. J.J. Quezada: None. S. Khan: None. S.I. Fofana: None. J.C. Lopez-Alvarenga: None.
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Noorani et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Type 2 diabetes (n=7,619). Stroke vs. Absence of stroke was evaluated on Poor self-rated general health (OR 3.684, 95% CI 2.501-5.425). Among adults with type 2 diabetes, stroke was the strongest comorbidity associated with poor self-rated health (OR 3.684; 95% CI 2.501-5.425), followed by coronary heart disease and COPD.
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