Pulse.

a daily field guide to health research that matters

◆ Console

‹ Tue · 2 Jun 2026
Underserved or high-risk populations

Cardiometabolic multimorbidity prevalence and its socio-demographic determinants among Iranian adults: insights from the nationwide STEPS 2021

Nearly 15% of Iranian adults have multiple cardiometabolic conditions simultaneously, with post-COVID hospitalization emerging as a novel risk factor.

14.43% of Iranian adults have cardiometabolic multimorbidity (≥2 of: hypertension, type 2 diabetes, MI/stroke) based on a large nationwide survey of 16,453 adults, with comparable prevalence between sexes. The study provides country-level benchmarks for a high-burden middle-income country and identifies COVID-19 hospitalization history as a novel positive determinant, warranting further investigation of post-COVID cardiometabolic risk.

What the study was

Study design
Cross-sectional nationwide survey (WHO STEPS 2021)
Population
Iranian adults aged 25-75 years; nationwide sample
Sample size
16453
Category
Public Health
Maturity
Validated
Journal
Scientific Reports

Why it surfaced

Large nationally representative survey provides cardiometabolic multimorbidity benchmarks for a LMIC with limited prior data; COVID-19 hospitalization as a novel determinant is an interesting signal.

A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.