Influence of social deprivation on morbidity and all-cause mortality of cardiometabolic multi-morbidity: a cohort analysis of the UK Biobank cohort

Background The relation of social deprivation with single cardiometabolic disease (CMD) was widely investigated, whereas the association with cardiometabolic multi-morbidity (CMM), defined as experiencing more than two CMDs during the lifetime, is poorly understood. Methods We analyzed 345,417 UK Biobank participants without any CMDs at recruitment to study the relation between social deprivation and four CMDs including type II diabetes (T2D), coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke and hypertension. Social deprivation was measured by Townsend deprivation index (TDI), and CMM was defined as occurrence of two or more of the above four diseases. Multivariable Cox models were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) per one standard deviation (SD) change and in quartile (Q1-Q4, with Q1 as reference), as well as 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results During the follow up, 68,338 participants developed at least one CMD (median follow up of 13.2 years), 16,225 further developed CMM (median follow up of 13.4 years), and 18,876 ultimately died from all causes (median follow up of 13.4 years). Compared to Q1 of TDI (lowest deprivation), the multivariable adjusted HR (95%CIs) of Q4 (highest deprivation) among participants free of any CMDs was 1.23 (1.20 similar to 1.26) for developing one CMD, 1.42 (1.35 similar to 1.48) for developing CMM, and 1.34 (1.27 similar to 1.41) for all-cause mortality. Among participants with one CMD, the adjusted HR (95%CIs) of Q4 was 1.30 (1.27 similar to 1.33) for developing CMM and 1.34 (1.27 similar to 1.41) for all-cause mortality, with HR (95%CIs) = 1.11 (1.06 similar to 1.16) for T2D patients, 1.07 (1.03 similar to 1.11) for CAD patients, 1.07 (1.00 similar to 1.15) for stroke patients, and 1.24 (1.21 similar to 1.28) for hypertension patients. Among participants with CMM, TDI was also related to the risk of all-cause mortality (HR of Q4 = 1.35, 95%CIs 1.28 similar to 1.43). Conclusions We revealed that people living with high deprived conditions would suffer from higher hazard of CMD, CMM and all-cause mortality.

Automated summary

This study found that individuals living in deprived conditions are more likely to develop cardiometabolic diseases, cardiometabolic multi-morbidity (CMM), and have a higher risk of all-cause mortality.