High social disadvantage linked to heart risk like mild artery calcium
Cardiovascular event rates were 3.77 per 1,000 person-years with high social disadvantage and no artery calcium, versus 3.12 with mild calcium and high disadvantage.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cohort study of 2,901 adults with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, median 10 years
- What changed:
- Highly disadvantaged adults had similar cardiovascular event rates without artery calcium (3.77 per 1,000 person-years) versus mild calcium (3.12)
- The catch:
- Health differences beyond age, sex and race could explain the higher cardiovascular event rates
- Why it’s aging research:
- It bears on staying healthy in midlife and later life.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
The 2,901 adults in this observational cohort study had cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, involving heart, kidney and metabolic health, but no clinical cardiovascular disease. Their mean age was 62; 49% were male and 64% were non-white. Researchers grouped participants by a 14-part score of social conditions and by calcium deposits in heart arteries, a sign of artery disease.
Over a median 10 years, 227 first cardiovascular events occurred, including heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths. After accounting for age, sex and race, event rates rose with social disadvantage among participants without artery calcium. Those with the greatest disadvantage had rates similar to groups with mild calcium deposits. Rates were measured per 1,000 person-years—the participants’ combined years of follow-up.
Why it matters
Assessing cardiovascular risk in later life may require looking beyond artery scans. The authors suggested considering high social disadvantage alongside mild artery calcium in the syndrome’s risk stages.
Caveats
Health differences beyond age, sex and race could have contributed to the higher event rates among socially disadvantaged participants. This conference abstract covered people without clinical cardiovascular disease and excluded those meeting other advanced-stage criteria.
The paper
UAB
AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 Abstract, Nov 2, 2026
Presented at AHA Scientific Sessions 2026, abstract 16538
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