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Published on: May 31, 2016
Associations between Life's Essential 8 and abdominal aortic calcification among US Adults: a cross-sectional study
Quanjun Liu1,2, Hong Xiang3, Shuhua Chen4
1Health Management Center, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
Insights
Improving cardiovascular health (CVH) using Life's Essential 8 (LE8) metrics significantly reduces the risk of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC). Higher CVH scores are associated with lower odds of developing mild to severe AAC.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Radiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular health (CVH) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) are critical indicators of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and mortality.
- The association between comprehensive CVH metrics, specifically Life's Essential 8 (LE8), and AAC has not been previously investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between CVH metrics, as defined by LE8, and the prevalence and severity of AAC.
- To determine if improved CVH is associated with a reduced risk of abdominal aortic calcification.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 2,478 adults aged 40+ from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohort.
- Evaluation of CVH using the LE8 algorithm and assessment of AAC using semi-quantitative AAC-24 scoring.
- Statistical adjustments for multiple confounding factors to assess the association between LE8 scores and AAC risk categories.
Main Results:
- A significant inverse association was observed between LE8 scores and AAC risk, with higher CVH scores correlating with lower odds of both mild-moderate and severe calcification.
- A dose-response relationship was evident, where individuals with moderate and high CVH had significantly lower odds of AAC compared to those with low CVH.
- Interactions were noted between CVH and factors like chronic kidney disease, history of CVD, and marital status, influencing the association with AAC.
Conclusions:
- Novel CVH metrics, assessed by LE8, demonstrate an inverse correlation with the risk of abdominal aortic calcification.
- Enhancing cardiovascular health through adherence to LE8 guidelines may be a viable strategy to mitigate the progression and burden of abdominal aortic calcification.
Background:
Cardiovascular health (CVH) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) are closely linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related mortality. However, the relationship between CVH metrics via Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and AAC remains unexplored.
Methods:
The study analyzed data from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohort, which included adults aged 40 or above. The research used the LE8 algorithm to evaluate CVH. Semi-quantitative AAC-24 scoring techniques were employed to assess AAC, categorized into no calcification, mild to moderate calcification, and severe calcification.
Results:
The primary analysis involved 2,478 participants. Following adjustments for multiple factors, the LE8 score exhibited a significant association with ACC risk (Mild-moderate ACC: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81,0.93; Severe ACC: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.69,0.87, all P < 0.001), indicating an almost linear dose-response relationship. Compared to the low CVH group, the moderate CVH group showed lower odds ratios (OR) for mild-moderate and severe calcification (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.61-0.99, P = 0.041; OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.46-0.99, P = 0.047, respectively). Moreover, the high CVH group demonstrated even lower ORs for mild-moderate and severe calcification (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.69, P < 0.001; OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.59, P = 0.001, respectively). Interactions were found between chronic kidney disease (CKD) condition, history of CVD, marital status and CVH metrics to ACC. Participants without CKD exhibited a more pronounced negative association between the CVH metric and both mild-moderate and severe ACC. Those lacking a history of CVD, and never married/widowed/divorced/separated showed a stronger negative association between the CVH metric and severe ACC.
Conclusions:
The novel CVH metrics demonstrated an inverse correlation with the risk of AAC. These findings suggest that embracing improved CVH levels may assist in alleviating the burden of ACC.
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