Summary: Strong cardiovascular health is linked to slower biological aging, which could reduce the risk of age-related diseases and increase lifespan.
A recent analysis using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 score and a biological-age metric called phenotypic age found a clear relationship: better cardiovascular health corresponds with a younger biological age. This suggests that improving heart-healthy behaviors and clinical measures may slow the body’s aging process and lower future disease risk.
On average, study participants with the highest cardiovascular health scores had a biological age roughly six years younger than their chronological age.
Key Findings
- High cardiovascular health was associated with negative phenotypic age acceleration, meaning individuals were physiologically younger than their calendar age.
- Participants with the top Life’s Essential 8 scores had an average biological age about six years below their actual age compared with those at the lowest scores.
- The Life’s Essential 8 assessment includes diet, physical activity, sleep, smoking status, body weight and three clinical measures—blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure—offering a comprehensive view of cardiovascular health.
Source: American Heart Association
Overview
A preliminary study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2023 examined how cardiovascular health relates to biological aging. Researchers applied the AHA’s Life’s Essential 8 scoring system to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and compared those scores with participants’ phenotypic age, a widely used biomarker-based estimate of biological aging.
Phenotypic age differs from chronological age because it incorporates nine standard blood biomarkers that reflect metabolism, inflammation and organ function—measures such as glucose, C-reactive protein and creatinine—along with a person’s calendar age. Phenotypic age acceleration refers to the gap between phenotypic age and actual age; positive values indicate faster biological aging, while negative values indicate slower aging.
In this analysis of more than 6,500 adults from NHANES (2015–2018), investigators evaluated associations between Life’s Essential 8 scores and phenotypic age. After adjusting for socioeconomic and demographic factors, they observed a dose-dependent relationship: as cardiovascular health improved, phenotypic age and phenotypic age acceleration declined.
- Individuals classified with high cardiovascular health had negative phenotypic age acceleration—on average their biological age was younger than their chronological age. For example, people with high cardiovascular health averaged 41 years of chronological age but had an average biological age of 36.
- Conversely, those with low cardiovascular health showed positive phenotypic age acceleration and appeared physiologically older. Participants with low cardiovascular health averaged 53 years by calendar age but had an average biological age of 57.
After controlling for social, economic and demographic variables, having the highest Life’s Essential 8 score was associated with an average biological age about six years younger than for those with the lowest score. This association held across the study population and demonstrated the potential impact of cardiovascular health on biological aging.
“Higher cardiovascular health is associated with decelerated biological aging,” said Nour Makarem, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and senior author of the study. “Phenotypic age is a practical tool for assessing the body’s biological aging process and a strong predictor of future disease and mortality risk.”
Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA, chair of the Life’s Essential 8 writing group, emphasized the broader implication: “Following healthy lifestyle habits not only helps us live longer, but it helps us live healthier for more years, improving quality of life.”
Study details and limitations
- Participants had a mean age of about 47 years; half were women. The sample self-identified as approximately 64% white, 16% Hispanic, 10% Black and 6% Asian.
- Life’s Essential 8 combines eight metrics—sleep, smoking status, physical activity, diet, body weight, blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure—into an overall cardiovascular health score categorized as high, moderate or low.
- One limitation is that cardiovascular metrics were measured at a single time point, so the study could not assess how changes in heart health over time influence phenotypic age trajectories.
About this heart health and aging research news
Author: Karen Astle
Source: American Heart Association
Contact: Karen Astle – American Heart Association
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Findings presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2023