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Adherence to Life's Essential 8 enhances gut microbiota diversity and cognitive performance

Yannick N Wadop1, Jazmyn Muhammad1, Rebecca Bernal1

  • 1Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.

Frontiers in Microbiomes
|March 19, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Improving cardiovascular health through Life's Essential 8 (LE8) metrics boosts gut microbial diversity and cognitive function. Specific gut bacteria mediate this connection, highlighting potential for microbiome-targeted brain health strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Cardiovascular health
  • Neuroscience
  • Gut-brain axis

Background:

  • Emerging evidence links cardiovascular health, gut microbiome, and cognitive function.
  • Life's Essential 8 (LE8) measures key cardiovascular health indicators.
  • The interplay between LE8 adherence, gut microbiota, and cognition requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the relationship between adherence to Life's Essential 8 (LE8) metrics and gut microbiota composition.
  • To investigate the association between LE8 adherence, gut microbiota, and cognitive performance.
  • To identify microbial mediators in the gut-brain axis connecting cardiovascular health and cognition.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 781 Framingham Heart Study participants.
  • Multivariable linear regression models to assess relationships.
  • Mediation analysis to identify microbial influence on LE8 and cognitive outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Higher LE8 adherence correlated with increased gut microbial diversity (alpha- and beta-diversity).
  • Specific gut genera (e.g., Barnesiella, Ruminococcus) were associated with higher LE8 adherence, while Clostridium abundance decreased.
  • Gut microbial diversity and beneficial genera like Oscillospira were linked to better cognitive scores; Barnesiella and Lentisphaerae mediated the LE8-cognition link.

Conclusions:

  • Comprehensive cardiovascular health, as measured by LE8, positively influences gut microbiota and cognitive resilience.
  • Targeting gut microbiota may offer a therapeutic approach to mitigate cognitive decline.
  • Further longitudinal and metagenomic studies are warranted to elucidate these gut-brain axis mechanisms.
Abstract

Keywords:
Life’s Essential 8cardiovascular healthcognitive performancegut microbiotamediator

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