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. 2023 Apr:80:16-24.
doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.02.004. Epub 2023 Feb 10.

Application of Life's Essential 8 to assess cardiovascular health during early childhood

Wei Perng  1 , Izzuddin M Aris  2 , Natalie Slopen  3 , Nolan Younoszai  4 , Valerie Swanson  4 , Noel T Mueller  5 , Katherine A Sauder  6 , Dana Dabelea  6
Affiliations

Application of Life's Essential 8 to assess cardiovascular health during early childhood

Wei Perng et al. Ann Epidemiol. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose: Assess cardiovascular health (CVH) during early childhood using the American Heart Association's recently updated construct, Life's Essential 8 (LE8); examine concordance in CVH status per LE8 versus Life's Simple 7 (LS7); and identify perinatal correlates of high CVH per LE8.

Methods: We applied LE8 and LS7 to data from 305 children aged 4-7 years in Denver, CO; estimated % low, moderate, high, and optimal CVH; assessed concordance in CVH status based on LE8 and LS7 using contingency tables; and used multivariable logistic regression to identify early-life correlates of high CVH per LE8.

Results: Average age of children was 4.7 ± 0.6 years, 44.6% were female. No participants had low or optimal CVH, 43.9% had high, and 56.1% had moderate CVH per LE8, whereas 33.4% had high and 66.6% had moderate CVH per LS7. Twenty-two percent had high CVH based on both constructs. Correlates of high CVH were maternal prenatal diet quality (odds ratioHealthy Eating Index score>vs. ≤57 = 1.90 [1.12, 3.21]) and child age (odds ratioper 1 year = 1.58 [1.04. 2.42]).

Conclusions: LE8 yielded higher prevalence of high CVH than LS7 during early childhood, though there is modest concordance between the two constructs. Maternal diet is a potential modifiable target to optimize early-life CVH.

Keywords: Cardiovascular health; Epidemiology; Ideal cardiovascular health; Optimal cardiovascular health; Pediatrics; Prenatal correlates; Primordial prevention.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest disclosure: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
shows the study participant flow.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Associations (β[95% CI]) of perinatal characteristics with overall cardiovascular health (CVH), behavioral factors, and health factors scores based on Life’s Essential 8 among 305 children aged 4–7 years in the Healthy Start pre-birth cohort. Estimates are from a multivariable logistic regression model that included all variables shown in the figure. Abbreviations: CVH – cardiovascular health; HS – high school; BMI – body mass index; HEI – Healthy Eating Index
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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