What this means
Cardiometabolic ageing encompasses the population-level coexistence of diabetes, obesity, and demographic ageing within the analytical framework of this study. We examined whether this profile, summarized by a Diabetes-Obesity-Ageing (DOA) index, was associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden and whether this association varied with national income.
A plain-English summary is on its way. Until then, this is the start of the authors' own summary.
- Who it was tested in
- Not stated
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- The cardiometabolic ageing-cardiovascular disease axis: A 32-year European study.
- Authors
- Iuga H, Balcı MA, Iuga IC et al.
- Journal
- Experimental gerontology
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42892446 ↗
Abstract
Background
Cardiometabolic ageing encompasses the population-level coexistence of diabetes, obesity, and demographic ageing within the analytical framework of this study. We examined whether this profile, summarized by a Diabetes-Obesity-Ageing (DOA) index, was associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden and whether this association varied with national income.
What they did
We analysed a balanced panel of 27 European Union countries from 1990 to 2021. DOA was calculated as the equally weighted mean of pooled z-scores for age-standardized diabetes prevalence, age-standardized obesity prevalence, and the proportion aged ≥65 years. The ageing component represented demographic composition. Two-way fixed-effects models examined associations with age-standardized CVD disability-adjusted life-year and mortality rates, including an interaction between DOA and ln(GDP per capita). Sensitivity analyses included alternative estimators, temporal specifications, component-specific models, and PCA-based weighting.
What they found
The DOA × ln(GDP) interaction was negative and statistically significant in the primary model (β = -0.111; p = 0.006), with a consistent result for cardiovascular mortality (β = -0.118; p = 0.004). Component-specific interactions were significant for diabetes and population ageing, but not obesity. The PCA-based interaction was also negative and significant. Temporal analyses showed a negative interaction in levels models and a positive interaction in short-run specifications. Lead-placebo associations were also significant, while cointegration tests provided mixed evidence of a stable long-run relationship. Higher national income was associated with attenuation of the DOA-CVD relationship in levels models. The composite and component-specific analyses provide complementary perspectives on this pattern, with clearer evidence for diabetes and population ageing. These findings describe an income-dependent population-level association whose interpretation remains sensitive to temporal specification.
The authors' abstract, grouped under plain headings from its own section labels.
Iuga H, Balcı MA, Iuga IC et al. The cardiometabolic ageing-cardiovascular disease axis: A 32-year European study. Experimental gerontology. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2026.113357. PMID: 42892446. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42892446/