Life's Essential 8 and Parkinson's Disease Risk: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on NHANES Data (2005-2018)

Existing research on the link between Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains limited. This study aimed to elucidate how LE8 relates to PD risk among USA adults aged 40 and above.

Data were derived from the 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to control for selection bias. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to assess the association between LE8 and PD prevalence, while restricted cubic spline (RCS) modeling was adopted to explore potential relationships. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted to further examine the connection between LE8 and PD.

A total of 18,270 participants were included, among whom 259 reported having PD. An inverse association was observed between LE8 and PD. Prior to matching, the odds ratio (OR) for per 1 point increase in LE8 was 0.98, and 0.97 after matching. Compared with individuals with low LE8 scores (<50), those with moderate scores (50-79) had a PD OR of 0.62 before matching and 0.52 after matching. Participants with high LE8 scores (≥80) observed a PD OR of 0.43 prior to matching and 0.32 post-matching. RCS curves suggested a non-linear inverse trend. Subgroup analyses revealed a consistent inverse association between LE8 scores and PD risk across the majority of strata.

Among adults aged 40 and older, LE8 was inversely correlated with PD prevalence. Given the cross-sectional design, causal relationships cannot be inferred; however, the findings suggest that lifestyle modifications may aid in PD prevention and warrant further investigation in prospective studies.