Moderate Cardiovascular Health Research Articles

Abstract 12187: Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Intake and Cardiovascular Health Among US Women of Reproductive Age: NHANES 2007-2018

Introduction: Studies have showed that higher intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with increased risk of lower cardiovascular health (CVH) among adolescents and adults. As UPF intake is a modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular disease, examining the association of UPF and CVH among women of reproductive age (WRA) may help improve CVH among this population. Hypothesis: A higher percentage of calories (%kcal) from UPF is associated with lower CVH among WRA aged 22-44 years. Methods: We analyzed data on 5,780 WRA from NHANES 2007-2018. UPF was assigned from the Nova classification, which categorizes foods according to the extent and purpose of food processing. CVH was defined by using the Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) on a scale of 0 to 100. Scores of the seven LE8 metrics (excluding diet) were averaged, and the levels of CVH (low, moderate, and high) were defined using tertiles. We estimated the usual %kcal from UPF intake by using up to two 24-hour dietary recalls and the National Cancer Institute’s usual intake method to account for measurement error. We used multivariable linear and multinomial logistic regression to assess the association between UPF and CVH, adjusting for covariates. Results: The mean usual %kcal from UPF was 57.2%, and midpoint of quartiles of intake were 43.8%, 53.5%, 60.9%, and 70.6% for Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively. Every 10% increase in calories from UPF was associated with 3.6 points lower CVH score ( P < .001). The adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for low CVH were 1.76 (1.52-2.03), 2.70 (2.10-3.47), and 4.72 (3.19-7.04), respectively, comparing Q2, Q3, and Q4 to Q1 of UPF intake. The corresponding adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for moderate CVH were 1.17 (1.02-1.34), 1.32 (1.04-1.68), and 1.55 (1.06-2.26). The pattern of association was largely consistent across subgroups, except for non-Hispanic Black women, and was consistent across sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: Among US WRA, UPF represented more than half of total calorie intake and showed a graded inverse association with CVH. Our analyses highlight the importance of limiting the consumption of UPF among WRA to maintain CVH.

Temporal Trends in Cardiovascular Health Status Among Chinese School-Aged Children From 1989 to 2018: Multiwave Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Despite the release of updated metrics for Life's Essential 8 (LE8), key indicators for assessing cardiovascular health (CVH) status, there is currently no report on their distribution among Chinese children. This study aimed to assess the nationwide distribution of CVH in Chinese school-aged children using LE8 scores and analyze temporal changes in these scores over time. Participants aged 7 to 19 years from 11 waves (between 1989 and 2018) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey were included in this study. LE8 components were grouped into 2 domains of health behaviors (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep) and health factors (BMI, blood lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure). Scores of overall CVH and each LE8 metric were calculated individually. Temporal changes were assessed with joint point regression models by rural and urban living residence. The causal relationships between health behaviors and health factors that changed the most over time were built with cross-lagged panel models. A total of 21,921 participants, 52.6% (n=11,537) of whom were male, who had data for at least 4 CVH components were included in the analysis. The mean age was 13 (SD 3.6) years. The overall CVH score remained stable in most regions, with the lowest found in Shandong from East China, which had a mean between 67 (SD 10.9) and 67.2 (SD 12.4). In contrast, the highest score was found in Guizhou from Southwest China, with a mean between 71.4 (SD 10.8) and 74.3 (SD 10.3). In rural areas, the diet score decreased significantly from 1997 onward with a speed of 0.18 (95% CI: 0.15-0.21; P<.001) per year, and the BMI score decreased significantly from 2005 onward with a speed of 0.56 (95% CI 0.44-0.68; P<.001) per year. In urban areas, the diet score decreased from 1994 onward with a speed of 0.03 (95% CI: 0.001-0.07; P=.04) per year, and the BMI score decreased from 2002 onward with a speed of 0.63 (95% CI 0.47-0.79; P<.001) per year. The sleep score dropped constantly in both urban and rural areas, with a speed of 0.69 (95% CI 0.58-0.80; P<.001) and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.52-0.86; P<.001) per year, respectively. A decline in the diet score led to a decline in the BMI score with a coefficient of 0.190 (95% CI 0.030-0.351; P=.02), while a decline in the BMI score led to a decline in sleep health with a coefficient of 0.089 (95% CI 0.010-0.168; P=.03). Chinese school-aged children and adolescents were generally of moderate CVH status, but mutual influences existed between CVH metrics. Dietary interventions should be prioritized for promoting overall CVH in the future.

Oxidative Stress Factors Mediate the Association Between Life's Essential 8 and Accelerated Phenotypic Aging: NHANES 2005-2018.

Cardiovascular health (CVH) is a well-known predictor of morbidity and mortality, while phenotypic age (PhenoAge) is a promising biomarker of aging. This study aimed to explore the association between Life's Essential 8 (LE8), a novel CVH measure, and PhenoAge acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel), as well as the potential mediating role of oxidative stress biomarkers in this relationship. A total of 23 896 individuals were included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database (2005-2018). Life's Essential 8 scores were categorized into low, moderate, and high groups. PhenoAge, measured through clinical laboratory blood chemistries, served as a marker of biological aging. Weighted linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between LE8 scores and PhenoAgeAceel. In the multivariable linear regression, LE8 scores were significantly and inversely associated with PhenoAgeAccel, showing a decreased risk in the moderate CVH group (β -2.98; 95% CI -3.29, -2.66) and high CVH group (β -4.72; 95% CI -5.08, -4.35) compared to the low CVH group. When treated as a continuous variable, each 10-point increase in LE8 scores corresponded to a 1.14-year decrease in PhenoAge (β -1.14; 95% CI -1.21, -1.06). Among the 8 individual components in LE8, 7 exhibited a significant negative correlation with PhenoAgeAccel, except for blood lipids. Additionally, mediation analysis revealed that oxidative stress biomarkers, including γ-glutamyltransferase, bilirubin, and uric acid, collectively mediated 17.1% of the associations between LE8 scores and PhenoAgeAccel (p < .001). Higher LE8 scores, representing ideal CVH, are significantly related to a deceleration in PhenoAge, and oxidative stress biomarkers may play a mediating role in this relationship.

Association between updated cardiovascular health construct and risks of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background and aimsThe American Heart Association (AHA) updated the construct and algorithm of cardiovascular health (CVH) recently. We aimed to explore the relationship between the new CVH score and the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods and results3266 adults free of NAFLD identified via ultrasound were recruited in this prospective study. A modified AHA “Life's Essential 8” (mLE8, i.e., physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep health, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure) were collected to evaluate the CVH score. Then participants were categorized into low, moderate, and high CVH subgroups based on overall mLE8 CVH score. According to modified Life's Simple 7 (mLS7) CVH construct, participants were also subdivided into poor, intermediate, and ideal CVH subgroups. During a median 4.3 years follow-up, 623 incident cases of NAFLD were recorded. Compared to those with high CVH, participants with low CVH (adjusted OR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.55–4.24) and moderate CVH (adjusted OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.17–2.85) had a significantly increased risk of incident NAFLD. Participants with poor CVH (mLS7) but without low CVH (mLE8) did not show a significant elevated risk of incident NAFLD (P = 0.1053). A significant trend was found between increased changes in mLE8 score and a lower risk of NAFLD occurrence. ConclusionOur findings suggested high mLE8 CVH score was associated with a lower risk of NAFLD incidence. The new CVH construct showed a more reasonable classification of CVH status and was more robust in association with NAFLD risks compared with the original one.

Adherence to Life’s Essential 8 and incident chronic kidney disease: a prospective study of 147,988 UK Biobank participants

BackgroundThe American Heart Association recently updated Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) score. This amalgamation of health factors, recognized for their individual associations with chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk, provides a robust tool to assess overall cardiovascular health (CVH), which could potentially be extrapolated to predict CKD risk. ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the association between levels of CVH, as measured by the LE8 score, and risk of CKD in the UK Biobank. MethodsA total of 147,988 participants free of CKD and cardiovascular disease from the UK Biobank were included in this prospective study. CVH levels were categorized as low (0–49), moderate (50–79), and high (80–100) using LE8 score. An adjusted Cox proportional hazard model was used to investigate the association between LE8 and CKD. The population attributable-risk (PAR) was also calculated. ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 10 y, 1936 CKD cases were documented. A higher LE8 score was associated with a significant lower risk of CKD (P < 0.001), and a linear dose–response relationship was observed. Similar patterns were also found in the associations of the LE8 behavior and biological subscale scores with CKD. Compared with participants with a low CVH category, participants with a moderate CVH were associated with a 39% lower risk of developing CKD (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52, 0.72); and those with a high CVH had a 57% lower risk of CKD incidence (HR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.53) after adjustment for covariates. Among 8 distinct metrics of LE8 score, the BMI metric had the highest PAR (24.6%; 95% CI: 18.8, 30.2). Of the total CKD risk, 3.2% (95% CI: 1.4, 5.0) was attributable to inadequate or excessive sleep duration. ConclusionsHigh CVH, defined by LE8, is significantly associated with a lower risk of CKD. These results suggest that promoting optimal cardiovascular health may lower the burden of CKD.

Life’s Essential 8 and Mortality in US Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease

Introduction: The current prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is substantial, and CKD individuals face a heightened risk of mortality, encompassing both all-cause and cause-specific outcomes. The current study aims to investigate the potential impact of adhering to Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) on reducing mortality among CKD individuals. Methods: Using the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) data from 2005 to 2018, we analyzed 22,420 US adults (≥20 years old). CKD is defined by urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (≥30 mg/g or 3 mg/mmol) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (<60 mL/min/1.73 m²). The components of LE8, including diet, physical activity (PA), nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure (BP), were measured and given a score of 0–100. The total LE8 score was the unweighted average of all components and was divided into low cardiovascular health (CVH) (0–49), moderate CVH (50–79), and high CVH (80–100). A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to explore the associations of LE8 with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality, which were followed prospectively by the National Center for Health Statistics until December 31, 2019. Results: In the overall population, individuals with moderate CVH had a 47% lower risk of CKD, while high CVH was linked to a 55% lower risk compared to low CVH. During a median follow-up of 7.58 years, CKD individuals had a 93% higher all-cause mortality rate and a 149% higher CVD mortality rate compared to those without CKD. Among the CKD individuals, every 10-point increase in the LE8 score was associated with reduced risks of 17% for all-cause mortality (especially PA, nicotine exposure, blood glucose, and BP), 18% for CVD mortality (especially PA), and 12% for cancer mortality (especially PA and sleep health). In additional and sensitivity analysis, the results remained significant after further consideration of potential confounding of renal function. Additionally, LE8 demonstrated superior risk stratification for CVD mortality among CKD patients compared with LS7. Interaction was observed between LE8 and age, education level, marital status, and drinking status. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that adherence to higher LE8 levels within CKD individuals is associated with a reduced risk of both all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

1389-P: Life’s Essential 8, Socioeconomic Status, and Incidence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background: The American Heart Association (AHA) recently released a new cardiovascular health (CVH) metric, Life’s Essential 8 (LE8). Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) shares many common risk factors with cardiovascular disease. We aim to analyze the relationship between LE8 and the risk of NAFLD; and assess the modification effects of socioeconomic status and genetic susceptibility. Methods: We prospectively analyzed the association between LE8 and the risk of NAFLD among 141,504 participants from the UK Biobank. LE8 was defined by the AHA algorithm and categorized into low (0-49), moderate (50-79), and high (80-100) CVH. Results: A higher LE8 score was associated with a significantly lower risk of NAFLD (p&amp;lt;0.001). Compared to individuals with a low CVH, the HR (95% CI) was 0.40 (0.34, 0.47) for those with a moderate CVH, and 0.12 (0.09, 0.16) for those with a high CVH. Townsend deprivation index (TDI) and education level modified the association between LE8 and NAFLD (p-int&amp;lt;0.001 for TDI and p-int=0.003 for education, Figure). The protective associations were more pronounced among those less deprived and those with higher education. Moreover, we observed a significant interaction between LE8 and genetic predisposition to NAFLD (p-int=0.023). Conclusion: Adherence to a high LE8 is associated with a lower risk of NAFLD. Such relationships are modified socioeconomic status or lower genetic risk. Disclosure X. Li: None. Q. Xue: None. H. Ma: None. X. Wang: None. H. Feng: None. Y. Heianza: None. L. Qi: None. Funding National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL071981, HL034594, HL126024); National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK115679, DK091718, DK100383); Fogarty International Center (TW010790)

1314-P: Adherence to Life’s Essential 8 and Incident Chronic Kidney Disease—A Prospective Study of 142,567 UK Biobank Participants

Background: The American Heart Association (AHA) recently updated an improved method for evaluating cardiovascular health (CVH): Life’s essential 8 (LE8). We aimed to investigate the association between levels of CVH and the risk of CKD in UK biobank. Methods: A total of 142,567 participants free of CKD and CVD were included. LE8 score at baseline was created including DASH diet, physical activity, smoking, sleep, BMI, non-HDL cholesterol, HbA1c, and BP. CVH levels were categorized as low, moderate, and high. Cox proportional hazard model was used to investigate the association between LE8 and CKD. Results: During a median follow-up of 11.8 years, 4,914 CKD cases were documented. We observed a linear dose-response relationship. Compared to participants with a low CVH, those with a moderate CVH were associated with a 35% lower risk of developing CKD (HR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.59, 0.73). Participants with a high CVH had a 48% lower risk of CKD incidence (HR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.60) after adjustment for covariates. Additionally, the HR (95% CI) for each SD increment in behavior subscale score was 0.46 (0.39, 0.53) for CKD, and the HR (95% CI) for each SD increment in biological subscale score was 0.86 (0.76, 0.98) for CKD. Conclusion: Participants with high CVH, defined by LE8, were significantly associated with a lower risk of CKD. The burden of CKD may be reduced by promoting adherence to optimal CVH levels. Disclosure R.Tang: None. X.Wang: None. X.Li: None. H.Ma: None. Y.Heianza: None. L.Qi: None.

Validation of "Life's Essential 8" Metrics With Cardiovascular Structural Status in Children: The PROC Study in China.

Background Life's Essential 8 (LE8) metrics for cardiovascular health (CVH) aid primordial prevention in US populations. Methods and Results We conducted a child cohort study (PROC [Beijing Child Growth and Health Cohort]) with baseline (2018-2019) and follow-up (2020-2021) assessments, enrolling disease-free 6- to 10-year-old children from 6 elementary schools in Beijing. We collected LE8-assessed components via questionnaire surveys and 3 cardiovascular structural parameters by 2-dimensional M-mode echocardiography: left ventricular mass (LVM), LVM index, and carotid intima-media thickness. Compared with 1914 participants (mean age, 6.6 years) at baseline, we saw lower mean CVH scores at follow-up (n=1789; 8.5 years). Among LE8 components, diet presented the lowest perfect-score prevalence (5.1%). Only 18.6% of participants had physical activity ≥420 min/wk, 55.9% had nicotine exposure, and 25.2% had abnormal sleep duration. Prevalence of overweight/obesity was 26.8% at baseline and 38.2% at follow-up. We noted optimal blood lipid scores in 30.7%, while 12.9% of children had abnormal fasting glucose. Normal BP was 71.6% at baseline and 60.3% at follow-up. LVM (g), LVM index (g/m2.7), and carotid intima-media thickness (mm) were significantly lower in children with high (56.8, 33.2, 0.35) or moderate CVH scores (60.6, 34.6, 0.36), compared with children with low CVH scores (67.9, 37.1, 0.37). Adjusting for age/sex, LVM (β=11.8 [95% CI, 3.5-20.0]; P=0.005), LVM index (β=4.4 [95% CI, 0.5-8.3]; P=0.027), and carotid intima-media thickness (β=0.016 [95% CI, 0.002-0.030]; P=0.028) were higher in the low-CVH group. Conclusions CVH scores were suboptimal, declining with age. LE8 metrics indicated worse CVH in children with abnormal cardiovascular structural measurements, suggesting the validity of LE8 in assessing child CVH. Registration URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.html; Unique identifier: ChiCTR2100044027.

Association of Cardiovascular Health Assessed by the New Life's Essential 8 Metrics With Years Lived Without Cardiovascular Disease.

Background The American Heart Association recently proposed an updated definition of cardiovascular health (CVH) named as Life's Essential 8. We aimed to explore the association between this latest published CVH measurement and years lived without cardiovascular disease (CVD) among the Chinese population. Methods and Results We included 89 755 adults free of CVD at baseline from the Kailuan study. The CVH of each participant was scored (from 0 point to 100 points) and classified (low [0-49 points], moderate [50-79 points], and high [80-100 points]) according to Life's Essential 8, which incorporated 8 components covering health behaviors and health factors. Incident CVD was documented through follow-ups from baseline (June 2006 to October 2007) until December 31, 2020. CVD-free life years from age 30 to 80 years associated with different CVH scores were estimated using flexible parametric survival models. A total of 9977 incident CVDs were recorded. We observed a gradient relationship between CVH score and years lived without CVD. The age- and sex-adjusted CVD-free life years (95% CI) were 40.7 (40.3-41.0) years for low CVH, 43.3 (43.0-43.5) years for moderate CVH, and 45.5 (45.1-45.9) years for high CVH. Similar trends were noted when individual subtypes of CVD were investigated, and high CVH evaluated by health behaviors and health factors was also related to longer CVD-free life years. Conclusions A higher CVH evaluated by the updated Life's Essential 8 metrics was significantly associated with a greater number of life years without CVD, indicating the importance of promoting CVH for healthy aging in China.

Application of Life's Essential 8 to assess cardiovascular health during early childhood.

Assess cardiovascular health (CVH) during early childhood using the American Heart Association's recently updated construct, Life's Essential 8 (LE8); examine concordance in CVH status per LE8 versusLife's Simple 7 (LS7); and identify perinatal correlates of high CVH per LE8. We applied LE8 and LS7 to data from 305 children aged 4-7 years in Denver, CO; estimated % low, moderate, high, and optimal CVH; assessed concordance in CVH status based on LE8 and LS7 using contingency tables; and used multivariable logistic regression to identify early-life correlates of high CVH per LE8. Average age of children was 4.7±0.6 years,44.6% were female. No participants had low or optimal CVH,43.9% had high, and 56.1% had moderate CVH per LE8, whereas 33.4% had high and 66.6% had moderate CVH per LS7. Twenty-two percent had high CVH based on both constructs. Correlates of high CVH were maternal prenatal diet quality (odds ratioHealthy Eating Index score>vs. ≤57 =1.90 [1.12, 3.21]) and child age (odds ratioper 1 year =1.58 [1.04. 2.42]). LE8 yielded higher prevalence of high CVH than LS7 during early childhood, though there is modest concordance between the two constructs. Maternal diet is a potential modifiable target to optimize early-life CVH.

Changes in Cardiovascular Health during Young Adulthood and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Middle Age: The CARDIA Study.

The benefits of reaching ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) are well known, but it is unclear whether positive CVH changes from young adulthood to middle age reduce subclinical atherosclerosis risk. This study examined associations of changes in CVH from young adulthood to middle age and CVH in young adulthood with subclinical atherosclerosis. Data was analyzed from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. CVH was examined at years 0 and 20 using Life Simple 7 metrics from AHA guideline. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) was identified at years 20 and 25. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was identified at year 20. Among 2,935 participants (56.2% women, 46.7% black), the change of CVH score was -1.26 (2.13). For per 1-unit increase in CVH at baseline, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of presence of CAC and IMT were 0.81 (95% CI 0.78, 0.86) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.76, 0.94), respectively. For per 1-unit increase in CVH changes, the adjusted ORs of CAC and IMT were 0.86 (95% CI 0.82, 0.90) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.73, 0.90). Compared with stable moderate CVH, improvement from moderate to high was associated with a lower risk of CAC (0.64 [95% CI 0.43, 0.96]), while retrogression from moderate to low was associated with a higher risk of CAC (1.45 [95% CI 1.19, 1.76]). Positive changes of CVH during young adulthood are associated with negative subclinical atherosclerosis risk in middle age, indicating the importance of reaching an ideal cardiovascular health status through young adulthood.

Abstract P132: Application of Life’s Essential 8 to Assess the Status of Cardiovascular Health Among 4-to-6-year-old Children in the Healthy Start Study

Introduction: The American Heart Association recently put forth the Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) scoring system to assess cardiovascular health (CVH) status based on four health factors: body mass index [BMI], fasting glucose, non-high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood pressure; and four behavioral factors: first- and second-hand nicotine exposure, diet quality, physical activity, and sleep duration. Few studies have applied LE8 to assess CVH in children, and little remains known about concordance in CVH status based on LE8 vs. Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), the prior scoring system that employed different definitions and thresholds for defining CVH. Objectives: (1) Apply LE8 to assess prevalence (%) of low, moderate, high, and optimal CVH in diverse 4-to-6-year old children; (2) Compare concordance in CVH status categories based on LE8 vs. LS7. Hypothesis: Use of LE8 will yield at least 20% prevalence of high and optimal CVH; this prevalence will be higher than estimates based on LS7. Methods: Using data from 305 children in the Healthy Start cohort, we applied the LE8 scoring system to derive a composite CVH score for each child and estimated % low (LE8 CVH score &lt;50 of 100 possible points), moderate (score 50-&lt;80), high (score 80-&lt;100), and optimal CVH (score=100). Next, we applied the LS7 scoring system to estimate % of participants in the same four categories (low CVH: LS7 CVH score &lt;7 of 14 possible points; moderate CVH: score 7-&lt;10.5; high CVH: score 10.5-&lt;14; optimal CVH: score=14). Finally, we assessed concordance in prevalence across CVH status categories for LE8 vs. LS7 using the Wald chi-squared test, and calculated the correlation between continuous CVH scores based on LE8 and LS7. Results: The average age of participants was 4.7±0.6 y. Forty-five percent were female (n=136); 62% identified as white, 23% as Hispanic, and 12% as Black. No children had low or optimal CVH with either scoring system. However, prevalence of high CVH was higher based on LE8 than LS7 (40.6% vs. 33.4%; P &lt;0.0001). Twenty-one percent of participants had high CVH according to both scoring systems. We observed a moderate positive correlation (Pearson R 2 =0.55) between continuous CVH scores for LE8 and LS7. Conclusions: While no participants had low or optimal CVH in Healthy Start during early childhood, LE8 yielded a higher prevalence of high CVH than LS7. Future studies are warranted to assess determinants and consequences of CVH status during this life stage.

Abstract 39: Association of Cardiovascular Health With Time Lived Free of Coronary Artery Calcium

Introduction: Zero coronary artery calcium (CAC) is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. More time lived without CAC may delay coronary artery disease morbidity, but prediction of when CAC will first develop is not well understood. To inform cardiovascular prevention, we evaluated how cardiovascular health (CVH) relates to time lived without CAC. Methods: In Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants with zero CAC at baseline followed up to 10 years, we used Kaplan-Meier curves to estimate restricted mean survival time since study entry lived with zero CAC, by baseline CVH per Life’s Simple 7 metrics categorized as high (score 12-14), moderate (8-11), and low (0-7), and stratified by sex and age (45-64, 65-84 years). Results: Among 3416 participants without CAC at baseline (63% female, mean age 58 [SD 9] years, mean CVH score 8.8 [2.1]), mean years lived with zero CAC was 4.9 (SD 3.5) years. Women with high CVH lived on average 6.6 (95% CI 6.4-6.8) years with zero CAC, with moderate CVH 6.2 (6.1-6.3) years with zero CAC, and with low CVH 5.6 (5.3-5.8) years with zero CAC. Men with high CVH lived on average 6.4 (5.9-6.9) years with zero CAC, with moderate CVH 6.1 (5.9-6.3) years with zero CAC, and with low CVH 5.5 (5.1-5.9) years with zero CAC (Figure A). Among participants aged 45-64 years, those with high CVH lived on average 7.4 (7.1-7.6) years with zero CAC, with moderate CVH 6.8 (6.6-6.9) years with zero CAC, and with low CVH 5.9 (5.7-6.2) years with zero CAC. Among participants aged 65-84 years, those with high CVH lived on average 5.1 (4.5-5.7) years with zero CAC, with moderate CVH 5.2 (5.0-5.4) years with zero CAC, and with low CVH 4.9 (4.6-5.2) years with zero CAC (Figure B). Conclusions: High CVH was associated with longer time lived with zero CAC in women and men. Adults aged 45-64 years with high or intermediate CVH at baseline had longer time lived with zero CAC compared with those with low CVH. Older adults had no difference in time lived with zero CAC based on CVH. Maintaining CVH in midlife may delay onset of CAC.

Abstract P318: Life’s Essential 8 as a Measure of Cardiovascular Health in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)

Introduction: In 2022, the American Heart Association (AHA) introduced Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) as an updated definition of cardiovascular health (CVH). Sleep health was added to the original Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), and a new scoring system was developed. We evaluated how LE8 characterizes CVH among women in the WHI. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the average LE8 score would be moderate, with only a small group of WHI participants having high CVH. Methods: The WHI recruited 161,808 post-menopausal women from 40 clinical centers in 1993-1998. This analysis included 116,514 women without self-reported CVD, with measured height, weight, and blood pressure, and self-reported smoking history, sleep duration, physical activity, diet, diabetes, and cholesterol at baseline. CVH components were scored from 0-100 based on participants’ achievement of each health factor or behavior. Scores were assigned per AHA guidance with some adaptations made based on data availability. Lacking measured values, glucose and lipid scores were calculated based on history and treatment status of diabetes and high cholesterol. Overall LE8 scores were calculated as the unweighted mean of all components. Scores were further categorized into high (80-100), moderate (50-79), or low (0-49), with higher scores indicating positive CVH. Results: The average LE8 score among WHI participants at baseline was 71.5 (standard deviation (SD): 12.5; range 20.6-100) ( Figure ). Overall, sleep scores were high (mean: 86.5, SD 19.1). The lowest scores were found in diet (mean: 39.5, SD 31.3) and physical activity (mean: 47.7, SD: 43.5). LE8 classified 28.1% of WHI participants (32,773/116,514) as having high CVH whereas a prior analysis of LS7 found that 17.7% and 6.1% had ideal levels of 5 and 6-7 CVH components, respectively. Conclusions: Based on the new LE8 definition, most women had moderate CVH at study baseline, with approximately a quarter having high CVH. Although sleep health was high, scores for other health behaviors demonstrated considerable room for improvement.

Abstract 11510: Associations of Cardiovascular Health in Young Adulthood with Long-Term Blood Pressure Trajectories: Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Introduction: Cardiovascular health (CVH) in young adulthood (YA) has been associated with cardiovascular outcomes in older age. However, little is known about the relationship between YA CVH and mid-life BP trajectories. Methods: CVH (defined by 6 of AHA’s 7 metrics, excluding BP) was measured twice in YA and defined as poor, intermediate, and ideal for each metric, scored as 0, 1, or 2 points respectively, then summed as a composite CVH score (range 0 to 12). Categorical CVH status was defined as ≥10 points = high, 6-9 = moderate, 0-5 = low. Latent-class modeling (SAS Proc Traj) was used to identify trajectories of mid-BP (mean of SBP and DBP) from ages 35 to 55 years. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association of YA CVH status with mid-life BP trajectory group membership. Results: There were 3,358 CARDIA participants (56% female, 46% Black; mean age 25 years) in YA with follow-up data for BP trajectories. We observed 3 BP trajectory groups, labeled as low, middle, and higher (Figure). A 1-point higher CVH score in YA was associated with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.80-0.89) for being in the middle and 0.73 (0.67-0.79) for being in the higher mid-life BP trajectory groups. Compared with high CVH status at baseline, those with low and moderate CVH were significantly more likely to be in the middle and higher BP trajectory groups (Table). Among the CVH metrics, only BMI was significantly associated with BP trajectory group. Conclusions: Moderate or low CVH status in YA is associated with elevated mid-life BP trajectory. These data suggest that early life CVH status, and particularly BMI, may be important to manage for primordial prevention of hypertension.

Abstract 9456: Changes in Cardiovascular Health During Young Adulthood and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Middle Age

Introduction: The benefits of reaching ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) is well known, but it is unclear whether positive CVH changes form young adulthood to middle age reduces subclinical atherosclerosis risk. Hypothesis: This study examined whether changes in CVH form young adulthood to middle age was associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods: Data was analyzed from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. CVH was examined at Year 0 and 20 using 7 metrics (smoking, body mass index, diet, physical activity, blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol), each categorized as high (12 to 14 points), moderate (8 to 11) and low (0 to 7). Coronary artery calcium (CAC) was identified at Year 20 and 25. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was identified at Year 20. Results: Among 2935 participants (56.2% women, 46.7% black), change of CVH metrics was -1.26 (2.13). For per 1-unit increase in CVH changes, the adjusted odds ratio of presence of CAC is 0.86 (95% CI 0.82, 0.90) and of IMT is 0.81 (95% CI 0.73, 0.90). Compared with stable moderate CVH, improvement from moderate to high CVH was associated with a lower risk of CAC (OR, 0.64 [95% CI 0.43, 0.96]), while retrogression from moderate to low CVH was associated with a higher risk of CAC (OR, 1.45 [95% CI 1.19, 1.76]). Conclusions: Positive changes of CVH during young adulthood is associated with negative subclinical atherosclerosis risk in middle age, indicating the importance of reaching an ideal cardiovascular health status through young adulthood.

Estimated Impact of Achieving Optimal Cardiovascular Health Among US Adults on Cardiovascular Disease Events.

BackgroundBetter cardiovascular health (CVH) scores are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, estimates of the potential population‐level impact of improving CVH on US CVD event rates are not currently available.Methods and ResultsUsing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2016 (n=11 696), we estimated the proportions of US adults in CVH groups. Levels of 7 American Heart Association CVH metrics were scored as ideal (2 points), intermediate (1 point), or poor (0 points), and summed to define overall CVH (low, 0–8 points; moderate, 9–11 points; or high, 12–14 points). Using individual‐level data from 7 US community‐based cohort studies (n=30 447), we estimated annual incidence rates of major CVD events by levels of CVH. Using the combined data sources, we estimated population attributable fractions of CVD and the number of CVD events that could be prevented annually if all US adults achieved high CVH. High CVH was identified in 7.3% (95% CI, 6.3%–8.3%) of US adults. We estimated that 70.0% (95% CI, 56.5%–79.9%) of CVD events were attributable to low and moderate CVH. If all US adults attained high CVH, we estimated that 2.0 (95% CI, 1.6–2.3) million CVD events could be prevented annually. If all US adults with low CVH attained moderate CVH, we estimated that 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0–1.4) million CVD events could be prevented annually.ConclusionsThe potential benefits of achieving high CVH in all US adults are considerable, and even a partial improvement in CVH scores would be highly beneficial.

Modest Gains Confer Large Impact: Achievement of Optimal Cardiovascular Health in the US Population

Modest Gains Confer Large Impact: Achievement of Optimal Cardiovascular Health in the US Population

Abstract P102: Potential U.S. Population Impact Of Low Cardiovascular Health In Terms Of Preventable Loss Of Life-span And Health-span

Introduction: Individuals who maintain optimal cardiovascular health (CVH) live a longer, healthier life without cardiovascular disease (CVD). In order to quantify the population burden of sub-optimal CVH, we estimated potential loss of health- and life-span in a nationally representative sample of middle-aged US black and white adults. Methods: We first calculated individual-level composite CVH scores (range 0-14 points), including all 7 AHA-defined CVH metrics (smoking, diet, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol) using data from middle-aged participants (40-49 years) from 3 population-based cohorts. We categorized participants into low (0-6), moderate (7-9), and high (10-14) CVH and used Irwin’s restricted means to estimate years lived free of and with CVD. Next, we determined the contemporary prevalence of low, moderate, and high CVH in middle-aged black and white adults (40-59 years) pooled from 3 NHANES survey cycles (2011-2016). Finally, we generated estimates of CVD-free and overall years of life lost in moderate and low CVH compared to high CVH subgroups, weighted to the US population accounting for the NHANES complex survey design. Results: Of 12,906 participants in the pooled cohort, 23% were black and 56% women. Low and moderate CVH were associated with 4.41±0.02 and 1.86±0.01 fewer healthy years lived without CVD and 2.43±0.02 and 1.09±0.01 fewer overall years of life, respectively. This resulted in a greater proportion of life lived with CVD across all race-sex groups (FIGURE). When weighted to the US population, we estimate that approximately 230.8 (203.5, 258.0) and 97.1 (95% CI 85.6, 108.6) million healthy life years will be lost due to low and moderate CVH, respectively, in middle-aged adults. Conclusions: The projected loss of healthy CVD-free years and total life years due to low and moderate CVH is substantial. Maintenance of optimal CVH into mid-life may represent a significant opportunity to extend healthspan and mitigate disparities in the US population.