Is systemic inflammation a missing link between cardiometabolic index with mortality? Evidence from a large...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cardiovascular Health
• Metabolic Syndrome

Background:

• The cardiometabolic index (CMI) is a metabolism-related index.
• Understanding CMI's impact on mortality in older adults is crucial.
• Inflammation's role in CMI-associated mortality requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between CMI and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in older adults.
• To explore the potential mediating role of inflammation in these associations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 3029 participants aged over 65 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2005-2016).
• Employed Cox regression and subgroup analysis to assess CMI's association with mortality.
• Investigated inflammation's mediating effect using leukocyte, neutrophil, and SII indicators via mediation analysis.

Main Results:

• A mean CMI of 0.74±0.66 was observed in participants with an average age of 73.28±5.50 years.
• After 89.20 months follow-up, 1,015 all-cause deaths and 348 cardiovascular deaths occurred.
• Elevated CMI showed a positive association with all-cause mortality (HR=1.11, 95% CI=1.01-1.21), with partial mediation by leukocytes and neutrophils.

Conclusions:

• Elevated CMI is positively associated with all-cause mortality in older adults.
• Inflammatory pathways partially mediate the relationship between CMI and mortality.
• CMI may serve as a valuable prognostic indicator for adverse outcomes in the elderly.