Association between metabolic indices and diabetes in elderly individuals aged 60 years based on a restricted cubic spline model: a retrospective cohort study

Background Given that metabolic indicators, including obesity and dyslipidemia, are crucial for assessing clinical health, their role in identifying metabolic syndrome is well-established. With China's rapidly aging population leading to a surge in diabetes prevalence among the elderly, analyzing the risk factors for this condition is of great significance for reducing the associated disease burden.To investigate the relationship between various metabolic indices and diabetes in elderly individuals aged 60 and above. Design and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using physical examination data from 14,276 elderly subjects in Foshan (2021-2023). Restrictive cubic spline models were used to analyze the dose-response relationships between metabolic indices(Body Mass Index(BMI),Waist Circumference(WC),Total Cholesterol(TC),Triglyceride(TG),High-Density LipoproteinCholesterol(HDL-C), Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), Uric Acid(UA)) and diabetes. Results Increased BMI, waist circumference, and TG were significantly associated with a higher risk of diabetes, showing nonlinear dose-response relationships. A TC level >5.87 mmol/L and an LDL-C level >3.83 mmol/L were linked to increased diabetes risk (nonlinear relationships). Higher HDL-C was linearly associated with decreased risk. A UA level>278.44μmol/L was related to increased risk (nonlinear relationship). Conclusion Diabetes in the elderly is associated with multiple metabolic indices. Comprehensive monitoring of these indicators is crucial for diabetes prevention and control in this population. Trial registration : not applicable