Evidence mapPaperPMID 42036685Full record

ArticleCardiovascular diabetology2026

LDL-C combined with Chinese visceral adiposity index as a risk stratification tool for cardiometabolic multimorbidity in middle-aged and older Chinese adults: a national prospective cohort study.

Xiangyang Shao, Tingting Yu, Lei Luo, Hongmei Zheng, Fan Yang, Jin Dong

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Article in Cardiovascular diabetology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Xiangyang ShaoDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Breast CancerCenter, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong Universityof Science and Technology, National Key Clinical Specialty ConstructionDiscipline, Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Breast Cancer, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Breast Cancer, No.116 Zhuo Daoquan South Road, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1593-774X
Tingting YuDepartment of Health Management Center, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Lei LuoDepartment of Health Management Center, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Hongmei ZhengBreast cancer center, Hubei Cancer Hospital, TongjiMedical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Nationalkey clinical specialty discipline construction program, Hubei ProvincialClinical Research Center for Breast Cancer, Wuhan Clinical Research Centerfor Breast Cancer, No.116 Zhuo Daoquan South Road, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei, China. 2022ZL0002@hust.edu.cn.
Fan YangDepartment of Health Management Center, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430070, China. yangfan@hbhtcm.com.
Jin DongDepartment of Health Management Center, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430070, China. dongj001@163.com.

Funding

Hubei Province Medical Youth Top Talent Project EWT [2023] 65, OncologyHubei Provincial Health and Wellness Science and Technology Project WJ2025Q068Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China JCZRMS202601543National key clinical specialty construction discipline Project HBCHBCC-C01Scientific Research Project of Hubei Cancer Hospital 2025HBCHYN24Scientific Research Projects of Hubei Cancer Hospital 2025HBCHYN39Talent Project of Hubei Cancer Hospital 2025HBCHHHRC005Wu Jieping Fund Project 320.6750.2024-21-5 and 320.6750.2025-21-13
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) poses a growing public health challenge, calling for better primary prevention strategies. While both elevated LDL-C and visceral adiposity (assessed by Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI)) are established risk factors, their combined utility for risk stratification is unclear.

methodsThis prospective analysis included 8813 CMM-free adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We proposed a novel integrated metric, the Visceral Lipoprotein Risk (VLR) index, defined as CVAI × LDL-C (mg/dL). Its association with incident CMM was evaluated using Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and restricted cubic spline (RCS). The incremental predictive value of VLR was assessed via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, with robustness examined through sensitivity analyses. Mediation analysis explored underlying pathways.

resultsOver a median follow-up of 9 years, 729 (8.27%) participants developed CMM. After multivariable adjustment, each standard deviation (SD) increase in VLR was associated with an 31% higher risk of CMM (HR: 1.31, 95%CI 1.24–1.39). Participants in the highest VLR quartile had a 3.12-fold increased risk (95%CI 2.39–4.08) compared to the lowest quartile. Kaplan-Meier curves (log-rank P < 0.001) and RCS models confirmed a strong, positive, and non-linear dose-response relationship. The VLR index demonstrated good discriminative ability (AUC: 0.78). Subgroup analyses revealed effect heterogeneity, which mediation analysis attributed to distinct underlying pathways: while Triglyceride-Glucose Index (TyG) and Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP) were key mediators in the overall population, white blood cell (WBC) count emerged as a significant but minor mediator (proportion mediated 3.17%) in individuals free of any baseline cardiometabolic disease (CMD), whereas HbA1c remained the predominant mediator in the obese subgroup.

conclusionsThe VLR index, its non-linear association and mediation mechanisms underscore biological plausibility and utility for refined risk stratification, offering a practical tool for early identification and targeted primary prevention in middle-aged and older adults.

Indexed as

AdiposityCardiovascular DiseasesCholesterol, LDLDyslipidemiasIntra-Abdominal FatMetabolic SyndromeObesity, AbdominalAgedAge FactorsBiomarkersCardiometabolic Risk FactorsChinaEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansIncidenceBiomarkersCholesterol, LDLCardiometabolic multimorbidityCVAI-LDL-CMiddle-aged and older adultsRisk stratificationVisceral lipoprotein risk index

Identifiers

PMID42036685
PMCPMC13274176

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.