Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
10:13

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Published on: February 14, 2014

13.7K

Association between Life's Essential 8 and cognitive function among older adults in the United States

Huaxin Zhu1, Bo Hei1,2, Wu Zhou1

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, No. 17 Yongwaizheng Street, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.

Scientific Reports
|August 26, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Higher cardiovascular health, measured by Life's Essential 8 (LE8), is linked to better cognitive function in older adults. Maintaining good heart health may support brain health and memory in seniors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The American Heart Association redefined cardiovascular health (CVH) with Life's Essential 8 (LE8), comprising diet, activity, nicotine, sleep, BMI, cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure.
  • Cognitive function is crucial for older adults' quality of life, and its decline is a significant public health concern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between aggregate and individual Life's Essential 8 (LE8) metrics and cognitive function in US older adults.
  • To determine if better cardiovascular health is associated with enhanced cognitive performance in this demographic.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (2011-2014) from US adults aged 60+.
  • Cognitive function assessed using CERAD, Animal Fluency, and Digit Symbol Substitution tests.
  • Multivariable logistic and restricted cubic spline models used to analyze associations between LE8 scores (categorized as low, moderate, high) and cognitive test results.

Main Results:

  • Only 11% of the 2279 participants achieved high CVH (LE8 score 80-100), while 12% had low CVH (0-49).
  • Higher LE8 scores showed significant, linear, dose-response associations with improved scores on all cognitive function tests (CERAD delayed recall, CERAD total, Animal Fluency, Digit Symbol).
  • Positive linear relationships were observed between individual LE8 health behavior and health factor scores and cognitive function.

Conclusions:

  • Higher levels of cardiovascular health, as defined by Life's Essential 8, are associated with better cognitive function in older Americans.
  • These findings suggest that promoting cardiovascular health may be a strategy to support cognitive function in aging populations.
  • Further research is necessary to establish causality and temporal relationships between LE8 metrics and cognitive function.

Keywords:
AgingCardiovascular healthCognitionLife's Essential 8NHANES

More Related Videos

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing06:58

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Published on: January 24, 2020

7.3K
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS for Memory Enhancement10:37

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS for Memory Enhancement

Published on: September 18, 2021

13.8K

Related Concept Videos

Cognitive Development During Adulthood01:30

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
72
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
32
Aging01:26

Aging

Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
40
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
83
Cognitivism01:17

Cognitivism

Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
1.4K
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
339