Work

Association Between Relative Fat Mass and Cardiometabolic Disease: Age-Stratified Analysis in Young and Middle-Aged Versus Older Adults

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Current evidence characterizing the association between relative fat mass (RFM) and cardiometabolic disease (CMD) remains limited, with critical gaps persisting in the understanding of age-dependent heterogeneity. Thus, this study aimed to assess the association between RFM and CMD risk across age groups. Methods: This study utilized data from the China Health Evaluation And Risk Reduction Through Nationwide Teamwork (ChinaHEART), and enrolled 93,801 community-dwelling adults. CMD was defined as a composite diagnosis that included diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Meanwhile, RFM was derived from height, waist circumference, and sex. Participants were stratified into groups of young and middle-aged adults (35–59 years) and older adults (≥60 years). Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and to test for interaction effects. Restricted cubic spline models were applied to examine dose–response relationships. Results: Among the 93,801 participants, 18,473 (19.69%) had CMD. In the fully adjusted models, each unit increase in RFM was associated with a 9% increase in CMD risk (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.08–1.09). Compared to the lowest RFM quartile (Q1), higher risks were observed in the Q2 (1.68, 1.59–1.77), Q3 (2.56, 2.34–2.80), and Q4 (4.02, 3.68–4.39) groups (p for trend <0.001). A significant RFM–age interaction was identified (p for interaction = 0.001). Restricted cubic splines confirmed significant non-linear dose–response relationships (both p for overall association <0.001; p for non-linear <0.05), with distinct age-specific patterns. Older adults exhibited higher overall CMD risk compared to young and middle-aged adults. The lower RFM inflection point corresponds to an OR of 1 (30 vs. 34), highlighting the greater vulnerability of this age group and informing the future development of age-specific RFM thresholds. Conclusions: RFM demonstrates a significant positive association with CMD risk, exhibiting age-dependent heterogeneity, and emphasizing age-tailored interventions for CMD prevention strategies.

Source: Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine

DOI: 10.31083/rcm45938

Authors: Teng Li, Xian Xie, Zening Jin, Jing Nan, Jing Han, Li Yin

Institutions: Capital Medical University, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Language: English

Topic: Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins

Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,200