Individual and Combined Associations of Modifiable Lifestyle and Metabolic Health Status With New-Onset Diabetes and Major Cardiovascular Events: The China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort (4C) Study

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the individual and combined associations of lifestyle and metabolic factors with new-onset diabetes and major cardiovascular events among a Chinese population aged ≥40 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Baseline lifestyle information, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid profiles, and glycemic status were obtained in a nationwide, multicenter, prospective study of 170,240 participants. During the up to 5 years of follow-up, we detected 7,847 individuals with new-onset diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association 2010 criteria and 3,520 cardiovascular events, including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and hospitalized or treated heart failure. RESULTS: On the basis of 36.13% (population-attributable fraction [PAF]) risk attributed to metabolic risk components collectively, physical inactivity (8.59%), sedentary behavior (6.35%), and unhealthy diet (4.47%) moderately contributed to incident diabetes. Physical inactivity (13.34%), unhealthy diet (8.70%), and current smoking (3.38%) significantly contributed to the risk of major cardiovascular events, on the basis of 37.42% PAF attributed to a cluster of metabolic risk factors. Significant associations of lifestyle health status with diabetes and cardiovascular events were found across all metabolic health categories. Risks of new-onset diabetes and major cardiovascular events increased simultaneously according to the worsening of lifestyle and metabolic health status. CONCLUSIONS: We showed robust effects of lifestyle status on new-onset diabetes and major cardiovascular events regardless of metabolic status and a graded increment of risk according to the combination of lifestyle and metabolic health, highlighting the importance of lifestyle modification regardless of the present metabolic status.