Life’s Essential 8, adapted in 2022 from Life’s Simple 7, includes 8 factors and behaviors which, when optimal, saw greater cardiovascular disease-free survival, total longevity, and higher quality of life. The 8 central components are a healthy diet, participation in physical activity, avoidance of nicotine, healthy sleep, healthy weight, and healthy levels of blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure.2
“It’s natural that as you age your health may start to decline, particularly as you develop conditions such as high blood pressure or have major cardiovascular events like a stroke,” Stacey Rosen, MD, volunteer president of the AHA and senior vice president of women’s health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health of Northwell Health, said in a statement. “That’s why the American Heart Association urges everyone to get their best start at good health by following the elements of Life’s Essential 8 early in life, even as young as childhood.”1
Investigators collected data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2018, reviewing changes in cardiovascular health as measured by Life’s Essential 8. A total sample of 3050 older adults was included, with survey weights applied to generate population-level estimates representing 37,908,305 adults aged ≥65 years.1
Adults with and without self-reported cardiovascular conditions, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, HF, high blood pressure, heart attack, and heart-related chest pain, were included in the study. Each metric of Life’s Essential 8 was scored for each individual on a scale of 0-100 points. Cardiovascular health was then calculated by summing the 8 scores and dividing by 8. Scores below 50 indicate low cardiovascular health, 50-79 is considered moderate, and ≥80 signals high cardiovascular health.1
Upon analysis, investigators found that people with no cardiovascular disease had an average cardiovascular health score of 68 out of 100, that people who reported ≥1 cardiovascular condition had an average score <60, and scores tended to decline with each additional cardiovascular disease. Additionally, those with ≥1 cardiovascular disease had a Life’s Essential 8 score 9 points lower than those without cardiovascular disease. Investigators believe this gap can be explained by lower comparative scores for blood pressure and physical activity.1
Additionally, cardiovascular health scores among patients with high blood pressure decreased by 4.1%, by 11.5% in those with a history of stroke, and by 15.2% in those with HF, between 2013 and 2018.1
“It’s critical that we recognize that our aging population is quickly growing. The last of the Baby Boomers will reach 65 in the next 5 years, and more people are living longer, even after a heart attack or stroke, thanks, in part, to medical advances and improved diagnosis and treatment,” Rosen said. “We must identify ways to support these older individuals with information and resources to maintain a healthy lifestyle in every way they can, because good health is important at every age.”1
References
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American Heart Association. Study finds heart health declining in older adults with certain cardiovascular diseases. Eurekalert! August 20, 2025. Accessed September 11, 2025.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1094793 -
Lloyd-Jones D, Allen N, Anderson C, et al. Life’s Essential 8: Updating and Enhancing the American Heart Association’s Construct of Cardiovascular Health: A Presidential Advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. June 29, 2022. Accessed September 11, 2025.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001078