# Age-Stratified Differences in Cardio–Reno–Metabolic Risk Profiles

## TL;DR

This study shows how cardio–reno–metabolic risk factors change with age, highlighting the need for age-specific prevention strategies.

## Contribution

The study identifies distinct age-related shifts in dominant risk markers from metabolic to vascular-renal profiles.

## Key findings

- Younger adults (<65) showed higher metabolic risk markers like BMI and triglycerides.
- Older adults (>75) exhibited higher systolic blood pressure and lower eGFR, indicating vascular-renal risk.
- Composite risk scores were similar across age groups despite differing individual markers.

## Abstract

Background: Susception to cardio–reno–metabolic disorders increases markedly with age; however, the dominant contributors to risk may differ across the adult life course. While metabolic abnormalities often predominate at younger ages, vascular and renal alterations become more prominent in older populations. Understanding how these risk components reconfigure with aging may inform age-tailored prevention strategies. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 287 adults undergoing clinical and biochemical evaluation for cardio–metabolic risk. Participants were stratified into three age categories: <65 years (n = 175), 65–75 years (n = 84), and >75 years (n = 28). Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, metabolic parameters, liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, and renal function indices were assessed. Insulin resistance was estimated using the triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index, and renal function was evaluated by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). Comparisons across age groups were performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Younger participants (<65 years) exhibited a predominantly metabolic risk profile, characterized by higher body mass index, waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, and TyG index (all p < 0.05). In contrast, advancing age was associated with a progressive vascular–renal phenotype, including higher systolic blood pressure, lower diastolic blood pressure, and a marked decline in eGFR (p < 0.001). Liver enzymes decreased with age, while the FIB-4 index increased. UACR and C-reactive protein levels did not differ significantly between age groups. Despite these differences in individual risk markers, the composite risk category score was similar across age strata. Conclusions: Cardio–reno–metabolic risk profiles show distinct age-stratified patterns in dominant risk markers, with metabolic predominance more evident at younger ages and vascular–renal vulnerability more prominent in older adults. These findings support a life-course perspective on risk assessment and highlight the potential importance of early detection of vascular and microvascular risk in metabolically burdened younger individuals, prior to the development of overt renal dysfunction and advanced vascular aging.