The combined associations of excess body weight, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia with hyperglycemia among nondiabetic older adults in regional China.

To investigate the separate and combined associations of excess body weight (EBW), hypertension (HTN), and hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) with hyperglycemia among non-diabetic adults aged 60 years and above in regional China. In this cross-sectional study conducted in 2023, 26,769 non-diabetic individuals aged 60 years and older were selected from Nanjing municipality, China. Body weight and height, blood pressure, fasting plasma triglycerides, and glucose were objectively measured, while socio-demographic attributes, lifestyle and behaviors, and disease history were self-reported. The outcome variable was hyperglycemia. Independent variables included EBW, HTN, HTG, and their combinations. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the separate and combined associations of EBW, HTN, and HTG with hyperglycemia. Among all participants, the prevalence of hyperglycemia was 16.3%, while 14.0%, 57.2%, and 27.8% had obesity, HTN, and HTG, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals with EBW, HTN, or HTG were independently more likely to experience hyperglycemia compared to those without the corresponding condition. Participants with any two-factor combinations of these three conditions had a higher risk of hyperglycemia than those with only one. Moreover, individuals with the three conditions had substantially greater odds of hyperglycemia than those with any two-factor combinations. Obese adults with both HTN and HTG had 5.04-fold higher odds (95%CI = 4.31, 5.90), while overweight individuals with HTN and HTG had 3.20-fold higher odds (95%CI = 2.79, 3.67) of experiencing hyperglycemia, compared to those with normal body weight, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels. Among men, individuals with obesity who had HTN and HTG had 5.15-fold higher odds (95%CI = 4.02, 6.61), and overweight individuals with HTN and HTG had 3.27-fold higher odds (95%CI = 2.63, 4.05). Among women, individuals with obesity who had HTN and HTG had 5.36-fold higher odds (95%CI = 4.22, 6.82), and overweight individuals with HTN and HTG had 3.40-fold higher odds (95%CI = 2.74, 4.22) of hyperglycemia. EBW, HTN, and HTG jointly increased the risk of hyperglycemia among older adults, both men and women, aged 60 years and above in China. These findings have important public health implications, suggesting that personalized interventions targeting EBW, HTN, and HTG may serve as an effective strategy for the population-level prevention of hyperglycemia.