Cardiometabolic & kidneyMeta-analysis

Life-course social mobility and cardiometabolic disease: evidence from five international cohorts

Eur J Prev CardiolPublished

  • Pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies
  • five international cohorts

Authors' conclusion

Low life course SDOH and adverse social mobility trajectories increase CMDs risk, whereas maintaining healthy lifestyles and favorable psychosocial wellbeing may mitigate the risk.

Study context

Population
Adults in five prospective cohorts across USA, Europe, China, South Korea and England (mean age 63.2 years; 57.2% women)
Participants
51,002 adults · 5 cohorts
Comparison
High vs Medium vs Low
Outcome
Cardiometabolic disease (self-reported physician-diagnosed heart diseases, diabetes or stroke)

Pooled result

As reported in the abstract

Overall CMD risk
  • Low social determinants of health (SDOH) in childhood, early adulthood, middle-late adulthood and cumulatively each associated with higher cardiometabolic disease (CMD) risk
  • Stable low, downward and increase-then-decline mobility trajectories associated with elevated CMD risk

Further pooled results

Proportion of associations explained by lifestyle and psychosocial factors

Lifestyle factors
13.3%-50.5%
Psychosocial factors
15.8%-73.7%
Greatest attenuation for heart diseases

Contributors at equivalent cumulative SDOH levels

Alcohol consumption, physical activity, depressive symptoms and social participation each contributed significantly to explaining the SDOH–CMD association

Original publication

Life-course social mobility and cardiometabolic disease: evidence from five international cohorts. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 15 April 2026. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwag217

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it