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

Xiaomin Ye1,2, Zhenyu Xiong1,2, Jiaying Li3

  • 1The First affiliated hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, CN.

Global Heart
|March 20, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Maintaining ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) from young adulthood to middle age significantly reduces subclinical atherosclerosis risk. Positive CVH changes are linked to lower risks of coronary artery calcium and carotid intima-media thickness.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Preventive Cardiology
  • Atherosclerosis Research

Background:

  • Ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) benefits are known, but its impact on subclinical atherosclerosis progression from young adulthood to middle age is unclear.
  • This study investigates the association between changes in CVH and subclinical atherosclerosis risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association of changes in cardiovascular health (CVH) from young adulthood to middle age with subclinical atherosclerosis.
  • To assess the impact of baseline CVH in young adulthood on atherosclerosis risk.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
  • Cardiovascular health (CVH) assessed using AHA Life Simple 7 metrics at years 0 and 20.
  • Subclinical atherosclerosis measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC) at years 20 and 25, and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) at year 20.

Main Results:

  • A 1-unit increase in baseline CVH was associated with lower odds of CAC (OR=0.81) and IMT (OR=0.85).
  • A 1-unit increase in CVH change was associated with lower odds of CAC (OR=0.86) and IMT (OR=0.81).
  • Improving CVH from moderate to high was linked to reduced CAC risk (OR=0.64), while declining from moderate to low increased CAC risk (OR=1.45).

Conclusions:

  • Positive changes in cardiovascular health (CVH) during young adulthood are associated with reduced subclinical atherosclerosis risk in middle age.
  • Maintaining or improving CVH throughout early adulthood is crucial for mitigating long-term cardiovascular disease risk.
Abstract

Keywords:
Ideal cardiovascular healthcarotid intima-media thicknesscoronary artery calcificationyoung adults

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