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. 2025 Oct 30;13(4):251.
doi: 10.3390/medsci13040251.

Temporal Trends in Cardiovascular Health Metrics in Italy, 2015-2024: A Ten-Year Report from the Longevity Check-Up (Lookup) 8+ Study

Stefano Cacciatore  1   2 , Elena Levati  1   2 , Riccardo Calvani  1 , Matteo Tosato  2 , Francesca Ciciarello  2 , Vincenzo Galluzzo  2 , Sara Salini  2 , Andrea Russo  2 , Emanuele Marzetti  1   2 , Francesco Landi  1   2 ; Lookup 8+ Study Group
Affiliations

Temporal Trends in Cardiovascular Health Metrics in Italy, 2015-2024: A Ten-Year Report from the Longevity Check-Up (Lookup) 8+ Study

Stefano Cacciatore et al. Med Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

Background/objectives: The objective of this ten-year report is to describe temporal trends in the cardiovascular health (CVH) score and its individual components across ages and sexes. We also examined the impact of the post-COVID-19 period on ideal CVH and identified demographic predictors of favorable cardiovascular risk profiles.

Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study were collected between 2015 and 2024 as part of the Lookup 8+ project, an ongoing initiative integrating field-based CVH assessments across Italy. CVH was operationalized using a modified CVH score (0-7 points) inspired by Life's Simple 7, combining behavioral and clinical metrics. Trends over time and across demographic groups were examined using descriptive statistics and multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, and year of assessment.

Results: The study included 18,491 participants (mean age 56.1 ± 14.8 years; 55.2% women). After an initial decline in CVH score between 2015 and 2017 (mean score from 4.39 to 3.95), a gradual improvement followed, reaching 4.41 in 2024. Younger adults (18-39 years; 71.9% in 2024) and women (56.8%) consistently showed the highest prevalence of ideal CVH (score ≥ 5). The post-COVID-19 period was independently associated with higher odds of ideal CVH (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.24-1.40). While blood pressure and cholesterol metrics improved, dietary quality and glycemic control worsened over time.

Conclusions: From 2015 to 2024, overall CVH improved among Lookup participants, particularly among younger individuals after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, substantial age- and sex-related gaps remain, requiring targeted and equity-oriented prevention efforts.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Life’s Simple 7; cardiovascular health; health behavior; health surveys; primary prevention; public health surveillance; risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart illustrating sample selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Temporal trends in standardized cardiovascular health score from 2015 to 2024 by (A) age and (B) sex. The red dashed line indicates the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Standardized distribution of cardiovascular health categories in the Italian population from 2015 to 2024.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Changes in the prevalence of non-ideal cardiovascular health metrics from 2015 to 2024, stratified by age group and sex. Each cell represents the absolute difference in standardized prevalence (%) of non-ideal status for the corresponding metric between 2024 and 2015.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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