The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) score is a health tool that ranges from 0 to 100 and uses information from eight lifestyle and risk factors (BMI, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, physical activity, diet, smoking, and sleep) to quantify cardiovascular health (CVH). It is well documented that maintaining a healthy heart helps avoid heart disease and other disease outcomes, but most studies report associations using a single measurement time. Point CVH score.
Using data from the 25-year Framingham Heart Study (FHS) to calculate the cumulative burden of poor cardiovascular health from early adulthood to midlife, the researchers observed an average score of 65 for all participants. We also found that higher cumulative LE8 scores (reflecting better CVH) were associated with lower risk of all disease outcomes. Importantly, participants in the highest quartile of cumulative LE8 had a significantly lower CVD risk by 73% (reflecting lower CVH) compared to those in the lowest quartile.
These results provide insight into the negative effects of the accumulation of unfavorable risk factors such as high BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and lipids, as well as the negative effects of unhealthy lifestyles such as poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and sleep deprivation. Routinely incorporating LE8 scoring into clinical practice to measure, monitor, and improve CVH status over time will provide clinicians with an important opportunity to improve scores on all LE8 components and guide patients to contribute to better overall population health. ”
Dr. Vanessa Xanthakis, Co-author, Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Principal Investigator, FHS
The researchers used the data to define each of the eight components that comprised the LE8 score in each of the five exam cycles (Exams 1-5, 1971-1995). We then calculated the area under the curve created for each participant using the LE8 score at each trial, and also calculated the slope, which reflects the rate of change in each participant’s LE8 score over time (i.e., over 25 years). They combined all the information across a sample of 3,231 participants.
According to the researchers, LE8 scores at testing cycle 5 (25 years), which was the baseline follow-up period, were also significant. “This result shows that regardless of whether participants improved their CVH scores over a 25-year period, if two participants had similar cumulative CVH scores during that period, the one with a higher LE8 score at the beginning of the assessment of future disease risk will “These findings demonstrate a lower risk compared to adults and highlight the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle in early adulthood,” added corresponding author Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology at Boston University. Director, FHS Framingham Center for Population and Prevention Sciences, Chobanian & Avedisyan School of Medicine.
These findings will be published online. Journal of the American College of Cardiology – Progress.
This research was supported in part by contract 75N92025D00012 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
sauce:
Boston University School of Medicine
Reference magazines:
Zantakis, V. Others. (2026). Relationship between cumulative Life Essentials 8 score and cardiovascular disease and mortality. Jack: Progress. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2026.102706. https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacadv.2026.102706
