Associations of the Zhejiang University (ZJU) index with cardiovascular diseases and mortality among US adults: a national cohort study

In conclusion, whether analyzed as a continuous or categorical variable, a higher ZJU Index is significantly associated with higher risks of CVD and CVD mortality, while it shows a U-shaped relationship with all-cause mortality. This indicates that the ZJU Index holds potential as a CVD risk stratification tool to identify high-risk individuals and guide targeted interventions. However, its utility as a CVD screening tool requires further validation to confirm optimal cut-offs and compatibility with existing protocols.