WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- From 2013 to 2018, older adults with heart failure, stroke, and hypertension experienced significant declines in Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
James M. Walker, from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues examined recent trends in LE8 scores among noninstitutionalized older U.S. adults (ages 65 years and older) with prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD diagnoses were self-reported; within each diagnosis group, percent change in LE8 scores was calculated from 2013 to 2018.
The 3,050 study participants represented 37,908,305 U.S. adults. The researchers found that between 2013 to 2014 and 2017 to 2018, LE8 scores tended to stay stable or decline for those with and without CVD. In those with hypertension, stroke, and heart failure, significant decreases in mean LE8 scores were seen, with a 4.1, 11.5, and 15.2 percent decline, respectively.
"Physical activity and blood pressure scores tended to be very low for people with cardiovascular disease," Walker said in a statement. "On average, participants with one cardiovascular disease had a Life's Essential 8 score 9 points lower than those without cardiovascular disease. That gap seemed to be explained by low scores for blood pressure and physical activity."