Cardiovascular Health Was Moderate in Austrian Adolescents and Showed an Inverse Relationship With High-Sensitivity...

Area of Science:

• Adolescent health
• Cardiovascular disease
• Inflammation research

Background:

• Cardiovascular health is crucial in adolescence for long-term well-being.
• Chronic low-grade inflammation is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Understanding these associations in adolescents is vital for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cardiovascular health in adolescents.
• To examine the association between cardiovascular health and low-grade inflammation.
• To identify factors influencing these relationships in a young population.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, community-based cohort study of 1379 Austrian adolescents (aged 14-19).
• Cardiovascular health assessed using the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score.
• Chronic low-grade inflammation measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels; multivariable linear regression used for analysis.

Main Results:

• Average LE8 scores indicated 75.0% adherence to ideal cardiovascular health recommendations.
• 68.2% of adolescents had moderate total cardiovascular health scores.
• hs-CRP levels, indicating low cardiovascular disease risk in 66.5%, were inversely associated with LE8 scores, age, female sex, diet, smoking, BMI z-scores, and oral contraceptive use.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent cardiovascular health was generally moderate, with an inverse relationship observed between LE8 scores and hs-CRP levels.
• Factors such as diet, physical activity, and tobacco use significantly influence systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk.
• Interventions promoting healthy lifestyle choices in adolescents are recommended to mitigate inflammation and reduce future cardiovascular risks.