A study to be presented at the AHA’s Scientific Sessions 2023 suggests that optimal cardiovascular health might lead to slower biological aging, potentially extending one’s lifespan and improving overall health. Achieving high scores on the Life’s Essential 8 checklist correlated with a biological age up to six years younger than one’s chronological age.
The study analyzed over 6,500 adults and established a strong connection between superior cardiovascular health, as gauged by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 checklist, and reduced pace of biological aging. Adjusting for various socioeconomic factors, individuals with high cardiovascular health were found to be biologically about six years younger than their actual age.
Emphasizing the Advantages of Cardiovascular Health in Aging
The preliminary study, to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023 in Philadelphia from November 11-13, suggests that maintaining high cardiovascular health could decelerate biological aging. This deceleration might lower the incidence of cardiovascular and other age-associated diseases, thereby potentially lengthening lifespan.
Evaluating Cardiovascular and Cognitive Health
The study focused on the relationship between cardiovascular and cognitive health, as measured by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 checklist, and the biological aging process, assessed through phenotypic age.
Phenotypic age, unlike chronological age, is determined by a combination of one’s actual age and the results of nine blood markers related to metabolism, inflammation, and organ function (such as glucose, C-reactive protein, and creatinine). These markers are commonly tested during clinical visits. The difference between one’s phenotypic and actual age is known as phenotypic age acceleration, with higher values indicating more rapid biological aging.
The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8™ is visually represented by a wheel with eight segments, each depicting a crucial component of cardiovascular health.
Principal Findings and Their Significance
Study senior author Nour Makarem, Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, notes, “We observed that superior cardiovascular health is linked to slower biological aging as indicated by phenotypic age. A dose-dependent relationship was also evident – as cardiovascular health improves, biological aging reduces.” Makarem highlights the practicality of phenotypic age as a tool to gauge biological aging and its strong predictive ability regarding disease risk and mortality.
Cardiovascular Health and Its Impact on Biological Age
The analysis, which included over 6,500 participants from the 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), revealed:
Participants with high cardiovascular health exhibited a negative phenotypic age acceleration, suggesting a younger physiological age than expected. Conversely, those with poor cardiovascular health showed a positive phenotypic age acceleration, indicating an older physiological age. For instance, individuals with high cardiovascular health had an average actual age of 41 but a biological age of 36; whereas those with low cardiovascular health had an average actual age of 53 but a biological age of 57.
After considering social, economic, and demographic factors, the highest Life’s Essential 8 score (indicating high cardiovascular health) was linked with a biological age that is, on average, six years younger than the individual’s actual age compared to the lowest score (indicating low cardiovascular health).
Makarem emphasizes, “Adhering to all Life’s Essential 8 metrics and enhancing cardiovascular health can slow down the aging process and offer numerous long-term benefits. Reduced biological aging is not only linked with a lower risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease, but also correlates with a longer lifespan and reduced mortality.”
Demographics and Criteria of the Study
Further details of the study include:
The average age of participants was 47 years; 50% were women; the demographic breakdown included 6% Asian, 10% Black, 16% Hispanic, and 64% White adults.
Life’s Essential 8 comprises a checklist of healthy lifestyle behaviors and health measures crucial for optimal cardiovascular health. The 8-item scoring tool assesses healthy sleep, non-smoking status, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, a healthy body weight, and levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure. An individual’s overall score is an average of these eight metrics, categorizing them into high, moderate, or low cardiovascular health.
Insights into Healthy Aging
Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA, chair of the writing group for Life’s Essential 8 and a past volunteer president of the American Heart Association, and also the chair of
