Maintaining good cardiovascular health may slow biological aging and extend a longer, healthier life, according to research to be presented at the 2023 AHA Scientific Sessions. Higher scores on the Life Essentials 8 checklist were associated with up to 6 years younger biological age than chronological age.
- Analysis of more than 6,500 adults finds a clear link between higher cardiovascular health, as measured by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 checklist, and slower biological aging. It turns out that there is something.
- After accounting for various socio-economic factors, adults with good cardiovascular health were approximately 6 years biologically younger than their chronological age.
Research highlights potential benefits of cardiovascular health on aging
Good cardiovascular health slows the pace of biological aging and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other age-related diseases, according to preliminary research to be presented at the 2023 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. It may reduce risks and extend lifespan. The international conference, held in Philadelphia from November 11 to 13, is the premier global gathering to update you on the latest scientific advances, research, and evidence-based clinical practice in cardiovascular science.
Assess heart and brain health
Researchers examined the association between heart and brain health, as measured by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 checklist, and the biological aging process, as measured by phenotypic age.
Phenotypic age is an alternative to a calendar for assessing chronological (actual) age, based on chronological age and nine blood markers of metabolism, inflammation, and metabolism (collected regularly during clinical visits). A reliable measure of biological (physiological) age calculated based on the results. Organ function (including glucose, C-reactive protein, and creatinine). Phenotypic age acceleration is the difference between phenotypic age and actual age. Higher phenotypic age acceleration values indicate faster biological aging.
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The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8™ image is a wheel with eight wedges representing the eight essential elements of cardiovascular health. Credit: Copyright American Heart Association 2022
Main research results and their implications
“We found that higher cardiovascular health, as measured by phenotypic age, was associated with slower biological aging. We also found a dose-dependent association,” said Noor Makarem, Ph.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. columbia university Irving Medical Center in New York City. “Phenotypic age is a practical tool for assessing our bodies’ biological aging processes and is a powerful predictor of future disease and mortality risk.”
Impact of cardiovascular health on biological age
After calculating phenotypic age and phenotypic age acceleration for more than 6,500 adults who participated in the 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the analysis found:
- Participants with higher cardiovascular health showed age acceleration of negative phenotypes. This means they were physiologically younger than expected. In contrast, people with poor cardiovascular health are phenotypically aging positively, meaning they are physiologically older than expected. For example, the average chronological age of people with good cardiovascular health was 41 years old, but their average biological age was 36 years old. Also, the average chronological age of people with poor cardiovascular health was 53 years old, while the average biological age was 57 years old.
- After accounting for social, economic, and demographic factors, the highest Life’s Essential 8 score (higher cardiovascular health) is associated with lower biological age when compared to the lowest score (lower). It was associated with an average of 6 years younger than the individual’s chronological age. cardiovascular health).
“By adhering to all Life’s Essential 8 indicators and improving your cardiovascular health, you can slow down the aging process of your body and reap many benefits in the future. Reduction in biological aging “It is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, as well as longer lifespan and lower risk of death,” Makarem said.
Research demographics and standards
Additional details of the study:
- The average age of study participants was 47 years. 50% were women. Six percent self-identified as Asian adults, 10% as Black adults, 16% as Hispanic adults, and 64% as White adults.
- Life’s Essential 8 is a checklist of healthy lifestyle behaviors and health measures that promote optimal cardiovascular health. The eight-point scoring tool includes healthy sleep, smoking cessation, regular physical activity, healthy eating, healthy weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. An individual’s overall score is calculated using the average of all eight indicators and is divided into three categories: high, moderate, and low cardiovascular health.
Insights into healthy aging
“These findings help us understand the relationship between chronological age and biological age, and how following healthy lifestyle habits can help us live longer. We all want to live longer, but… , and more importantly, we want to live longer, healthier lives so that we can live truly enjoyable, high-quality lives for as long as possible,” said Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, MSc. FAHA is the chair of the Life’s Essential 8 writing group and a past volunteer president of the American Heart Association. Lloyd-Jones is also a professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, the Eileen M. Foell Heart Research Professor, and professor of preventive medicine, medicine, and pediatrics. northwestern universityFeinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
Research limitations
A limitation of this study is that cardiovascular indicators were measured only at one time point. Therefore, changes in cardiovascular health were not measured and potential effects on phenotypic age over time could not be determined.
Co-authors, disclosure information, and funding sources are listed in the manuscript.American Heart Association and National Institutes of Health funded the research.