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Communicable diseases

Multimorbidity Drives Heart Disease Risk Among Low Socioeconomic Older Adults in India

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research on heart disorders and diseases has shown that among older adults in India, the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is predominantly driven by degenerative diseases and conditions. Multimorbidity, which refers to the co-occurrence of multiple chronic diseases or conditions, has been found to have a significant impact on the risk of heart diseases. The study estimated that over half of the adult population aged 45 years and above experienced multimorbidity, with the highest prevalence observed in those aged 80 years and above.

Key Takeaways:

  • The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among older adults in India is predominantly driven by degenerative diseases and conditions.
  • Over half of the adult population aged 45 years and above (50.94%) experienced multimorbidity, with the highest prevalence observed in those aged 80 years and above.
  • Hypertension emerged as the most prevalent condition, affecting 26.72% of older adults.
  • Disease network analysis identified hypertension, followed by eye conditions and gastrointestinal conditions, as the most central and interconnected condition in the multimorbidity framework.
  • High cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension demonstrated significant perilous linkages with life-threatening diseases such as heart diseases.
  • The Classification and Regression Tree (CART) model revealed that high cholesterol together with prolonged hypertension significantly elevated the risk of heart diseases.
  • This risk was not solely driven by the co-occurrence of diseases and conditions; it was significantly intensified among socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals in the Indian population.

Statistics:

  • 50.94% of adults aged 45 years and above experienced multimorbidity.
  • 26.72% of older adults were affected by hypertension.
  • The prevalence of multimorbidity was highest among those aged 80 years and above, at 26%.
  • High cholesterol, hypertension, and obesity exhibited significant perilous linkages with life-threatening diseases such as heart diseases.

Sources:

  • Multimorbidity as a driver of heart diseases risk among low socioeconomic older adults population in India. Scientific Reports, 2025;15(1):36285.

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