Study Identifies Key Age for Enhancing Cardiovascular Health in Children
A new study pinpoints the age when cardiovascular health (CVH) trajectories begin to decline, revealing a crucial window for targeted interventions to improve cardiovascular health into adolescence and adulthood. The findings are published in JAMA Cardiology.
Key Takeaways from the study are:
A new study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute sheds light on the trajectory of cardiovascular health early in life, which may contribute to its disparities in adulthood.
Across demographic subgroups, cardiovascular health scores begin to decline at approximately 10 years of age and appear driven by health behaviors rather than health factors.
Key health behaviors to target for improving early-life cardiovascular health include better sleep, healthier diet, and reducing smoking.
“Though we know that better heart health in childhood is linked to lower risks of coronary issues later in life, the current state of cardiovascular health in US children is less than ideal,” said lead author Izzuddin Aris, Harvard Medical School assistant professor of population medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. “Our study provides insight into the trajectory of cardiovascular health in early life, establishing a clear window of opportunity to improve the health of the nation’s children now and into the future.”
The American Heart Association’s recently introduced Life’s Essential 8 guidelines assess cardiovascular health based on four behavioral (diet, smoking, physical activity, sleep duration) and four health factors (body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels). Using the Life’s Essential 8 construct, the research team studied data from over 1,500 children from the Project Viva pre-birth cohort in eastern Massachusetts. Participant inclusion required information on at least 3 cardiovascular health metrics in early childhood or at least 4 metrics in mid-childhood, early adolescence, or late adolescence. The team assessed 6 CVH metrics in early childhood (diet, smoking, physical activity, sleep duration, BMI, and BP), and up to 8 from mid-childhood to late adolescence.
The authors found that cardiovascular health scores start to decline around age 10 across all demographic groups, driven by health behaviors rather than health factors. This decline may reflect social and/or developmental changes that typically occur at this age—such as changes in school schedules that may interfere with meeting guidelines for healthy sleep duration and/or diet—and may affect health behaviors. Improving these health behaviors, especially between mid-childhood and early adolescence, could help optimize cardiovascular health.
They also noted small but significant differences in cardiovascular health trajectories based on maternal socioeconomic status and child race and ethnicity.
Reference: Aris IM, Rifas-Shiman SL, Perng W, et al. Trajectory of Cardiovascular Health Across Childhood and Adolescence. JAMA Cardiol. Published online December 18, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2024.4022
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