Key result
Having three cardiometabolic disorders is linked to ~145% higher all-cause mortality risk.
Why the study?
Does a higher cardiometabolic comorbidity burden increase mortality risk in adults in the US and China?
Cohort (n=38,984)
Yes
Does a higher cardiometabolic comorbidity burden increase mortality risk in adults in the US and China?
A higher cardiometabolic comorbidity burden, particularly the combination of hypertension and diabetes, is associated with a graded increase in all-cause mortality across US and Chinese cohorts.
Higher cardiometabolic burden signals elevated mortality risk; leaves open optimal management strategies for multimorbid patients.
Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia are clustered metabolic disorders. Using harmonized data from four cohorts in the United States and China (38,984 participants), we defined cardiometabolic comorbidity burden (CMB) as the count of these disorders. Cohort-specific Cox models and random-effects meta-analysis showed graded associations with all-cause mortality. Compared with CMB count 0, pooled hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.10 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95–1.28), 1.43 (95% CI: 1.09–1.87), and 2.45 (95% CI: 1.56–3.83) for counts 1, 2, and 3. In United States cohorts, counts 2 and 3 were associated with cardiovascular mortality. In pooled analyses, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were associated with higher all-cause mortality, whereas dyslipidemia was not significantly associated. Coexisting hypertension and diabetes mellitus had the strongest association among two-disorder combinations. CMB showed modest predictive improvement, with population-attributable fractions concentrated among counts 2 and 3.
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Zhang et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Cardiometabolic comorbidity burden (n=38,984). Cardiometabolic comorbidity burden (CMB) count 3 vs. CMB count 0 was evaluated on All-cause mortality (HR 2.45, 95% CI 1.56-3.83). Compared with no cardiometabolic disorders, a cardiometabolic comorbidity burden of three disorders (hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia) was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR 2.45).
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