Impact of cardiometabolic index on long-term mortality in young adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND: The cardiometabolic index (CMI) has been utilized in recent years to detect patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Given the consistent annual rise in the incidence of T2DM among young adults, the relationship between CMI and mortality risk among those with early-onset T2DM remains to be determined. METHODS: We enrolled 2,188 participants aged 20-65 with diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2018. Weighted Cox proportional hazard regression models were employed to evaluate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves were utilized to assess linear associations. Stratified and interaction analyses were performed. RESULTS: We find that higher CMI is strongly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (p = 0.005) and cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.020) in the strictest model. RCS analysis revealed a linear relationship between CMI and mortality. Subgroup and interaction analysis showed no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The higher CMI level is correlated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk among young individuals with diabetes mellitus, and serves as a comprehensive and effective prognostic indicator for long-term health.