Estimating the impact of metabolic syndrome on low back pain and the joint effects of metabolic syndrome and depressive symptoms on low back pain: insights from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Our study found that MetS was linked to a lower incidence of LBP, but this effect does not persist over time. Importantly, the combination of MetS and DS significantly increased LBP risk, a joint effect not extensively studied before. These findings underscore the novel contribution of our research, advocating for the joint assessment of MetS and DS to enhance LBP risk stratification and inform prevention strategies.