Population and Co-Occurrence Characteristics of Diagnoses and Comorbidities in Coronary Artery Disease Patients: A Case Study from a Hospital in Guangxi, China.

Abstract

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a major global health concern, significantly contributing to morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the co-occurrence patterns of diagnoses and comorbidities in CAD patients using a network-based approach. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 195 hospitalized CAD patients from a single hospital in Guangxi, China, with data collected on age, sex, and comorbidities. Network analysis, supported by sensitivity analysis, revealed key diagnostic clusters and comorbidity hubs, with hypertension emerging as the central node in the co-occurrence network. Unstable angina and myocardial infarction were identified as central diagnoses, frequently co-occurring with metabolic conditions such as diabetes. The results also highlighted significant age- and sex-specific differences in CAD diagnoses and comorbidities. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the network structure and identified clusters, despite the limitations of sample size and data source. Modularity analysis uncovered distinct clusters, illustrating the complex interplay between cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. These findings provide valuable insights into the relationships between CAD and its comorbidities, emphasizing the importance of integrated, personalized management strategies. Future studies with larger, multi-center datasets and longitudinal designs are needed to validate these results and explore the temporal dynamics of CAD progression.