Associations between Life's Essential 8 and stroke: findings from NHANES 2005-2018.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Stroke is a leading global cause of death and disability.
• Identifying modifiable risk factors is key for stroke prevention.
• The association between Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and stroke risk is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between LE8 scores and stroke incidence.
• To determine if LE8 can be used for stroke risk stratification.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of US adults (aged ≥20) from the 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
• LE8 scores categorized as high, moderate, or low.
• Statistical analysis adjusted for confounders, including restricted cubic spline analysis for non-linear associations.

Main Results:

• A total of 24,851 participants were included, with 943 strokes reported.
• Low and moderate LE8 scores were associated with significantly higher odds of stroke (OR 4.81 and 2.17, respectively) compared to high LE8 scores.
• Both LE8's health behavior and health factor scores independently correlated with stroke risk.

Conclusions:

• Higher LE8 scores are independently associated with a lower risk of stroke.
• LE8 is a valuable tool for public health initiatives in stroke risk assessment.
• Maintaining optimal cardiovascular health is crucial for stroke prevention.