One means of assessing cardiovascular health is the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8, which takes into account one’s diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar. Maintaining high scores across these factors throughout young adulthood can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. A recent study found that people with higher Life’s Essential 8 scores from ages 18 to 45 and those who showed improvement over this period were nearly 90% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease after age 45.

Researchers followed more than 4,800 participants from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study across four United States centers, collecting cardiovascular health data from 1985 to 2020. They analyzed the relationship between cumulative Life’s Essential 8 scores (measured over time from ages 18 to 45) and the risk of cardiovascular disease after age 45.

They found that participants with higher cumulative Life’s Essential 8 scores had considerably lower risks of both cardiovascular disease and early death. Those in the top quartile of scores had up to 88% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and 71% lower risk of mortality than those in the lowest quartile. And those whose Life’s Essential 8 score improved over the study period also experienced a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease in midlife.

These findings suggest that maintaining and improving cardiovascular health during young adulthood is crucial for lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Sauna use is an excellent strategy for boosting cardiovascular health. Learn more in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.