Association Between Cardiovascular Health and Subclinical Atherosclerosis Among Young Adults Using the American Heart Association's “Life's Essential 8” Metrics

Abstract

Background This study investigated the association of American Heart Association's cardiovascular health guidelines Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and Life's Simple 7 (LS7) with carotid artery outcomes among young adults. Methods and Results This cross‐sectional study included 240 young adults (age 24.2±1.6 years) who underwent a carotid ultrasound between 2018 and 2022. LE8 score was calculated from 4 health factors (body mass index, non–high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, and blood pressure), and 4 health behaviors (dietary intake, physical activity, tobacco use, and sleep). LS7 was calculated from 7 metrics (all LE8 metrics, except for sleep) with a simpler algorithm. Higher LE8 and LS7 scores both indicate better health and better adherence to American Heart Association guidelines. Carotid artery outcomes included carotid artery intima‐media thickness, arterial stiffness (eg, distensibility), and echogenicity determined by grayscale median of the intima media complex. Results of linear regression analyses, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, and parents' highest degree, indicated that a 1‐SD increase in LE8 score was associated with 12.14 μm lower carotid artery intima‐media thickness (95% CI, −20.93 to 3.35), 1.17 (10 −6 ×m 2 /N) greater distensibility (95% CI, 0.09–2.24), suggesting less arterial stiffness, and 2.66 μm greater grayscale median of the intima media complex (95% CI, 0.58–4.75), suggesting less lipid deposition. Analyses using LS7 score demonstrated comparable findings. Health factor metrics demonstrated stronger association with carotid artery outcomes, as compared with behavior metrics. Conclusions Greater adherence to the American Heart Association's cardiovascular health guidelines is associated with lower risk for subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults. LE8 and LS7 demonstrated comparable associations with carotid artery outcomes.