Cardiometabolic multimorbidity is tied to higher depression risk
Depressive symptoms occurred in 38.6% of adults with cardiometabolic multimorbidity compared with 33.0% without, yielding an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.25.
Research Square
In a prospective study of 10,726 Chinese adults aged 45 years and older, researchers tracked cardiometabolic conditions and depressive symptoms from 2011 through 2020 using the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Cardiometabolic multimorbidity was defined as the coexistence of at least two conditions among diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Depressive symptoms were identified using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Baseline data identified 386 participants with cardiometabolic multimorbidity. After adjustment for demographic factors, lifestyle habits, clinical variables, and laboratory biomarkers, the condition was independently associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.05–1.49). The association remained significant after excluding participants with baseline depressive symptoms (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.02–1.72). The authors also observed evidence of an additive interaction between cardiometabolic multimorbidity and cognitive dysfunction.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that co-occurring cardiometabolic diseases are associated with later mental health decline in aging populations. Tracking multiple chronic conditions together could help clinicians identify older individuals who may need closer psychological monitoring.
Caveats
Because the study is observational, it cannot establish a causal link, and depressive symptoms were measured via a screening questionnaire rather than a clinical psychiatric diagnosis. Additionally, the paper is a preprint that has not yet undergone peer review.
The paper
Second People’s Hospital of Yibin
Research Square · 30 Sep 2026 · Preprint, not peer-reviewed