Application of Modified Life's Essential 8 Framework in Sleep Surgery Clinic Patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Comprehensive cardiovascular health assessments in OSA patients are currently limited.
• The American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) provides a framework for evaluating cardiovascular health across lifestyle and clinical factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cardiovascular health of patients with obstructive sleep apnea using the LE8 framework.
• To identify key modifiable factors impacting cardiovascular health in this population.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study included 58 patients from an OSA surgery clinic with complete LE8 data (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep duration, BMI, BP, lipids, glucose).
• Cardiovascular health was categorized as poor (<50), intermediate (50-80), or ideal (>80) based on composite LE8 scores.

Main Results:

• The mean LE8 score was 64.9, indicating intermediate cardiovascular health among OSA patients.
• Only 12.1% of patients achieved ideal cardiovascular health; 70.7% had intermediate, and 17.2% had poor health.
• Common areas for improvement included physical activity levels (≤150 min/week for 53.4%) and dietary quality (74.1% unhealthy or intermediate).

Conclusions:

• Patients with obstructive sleep apnea attending an OSA surgery clinic demonstrate intermediate cardiovascular health according to LE8 metrics.
• Enhancing modifiable lifestyle factors like diet, physical activity, and sleep duration is crucial for improving cardiovascular health in OSA patients.
• Targeted interventions focusing on these factors may mitigate the elevated cardiovascular risk associated with OSA.