Functional and Circulating Indicators of Endothelial Health and Their Associations With the American Heart...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Endothelial Function
• Public Health

Background:

• The American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) assesses cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk through biological and behavioral factors.
• The relationship between LE8 scores and endothelial function, a key factor in CVD, remains largely unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between LE8 scores and markers of endothelial function in midlife adults.
• To explore how LE8 components relate to forearm blood flow (FBF) and cellular adhesion molecules (VCAM-1, ICAM-1).

Main Methods:

• 318 midlife adults (mean age 42.3 years) were assessed for LE8 components, including glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI, diet, smoking, and sleep.
• Endothelial function was measured using forearm blood flow (FBF) during reactive hyperemia and circulating levels of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1.

Main Results:

• Lower LE8 scores were significantly associated with higher concentrations of ICAM-1 (r = -0.41, P < 0.001).
• Higher LE8 scores were linked to a greater FBF increase during reactive hyperemia (r = 0.29, P < 0.001), indicating improved endothelial function.
• No significant association was found between LE8 scores and VCAM-1 levels (r = -0.06, P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• LE8 scores are associated with both cellular and functional markers of endothelial activity in healthy midlife adults.
• Findings suggest LE8 may serve as a useful tool for assessing subclinical vascular health.
• Further longitudinal research is required to clarify divergent associations with ICAM-1/VCAM-1 and predict future CVD risk.