The association between the American heart association’s new “Life’s Essential 8” and different types of arthritis: insights from a large population study

Previous research has demonstrated an inverse relationship between optimal cardiovascular health (CVH) and the prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA). The American Heart Association has evolved its Life Simple 7 (LS7) metric into Life Essential 8 (LE8), which exhibits enhanced sensitivity to inter-individual variations and places increased emphasis on social determinants of health and mental well-being. The primary objective of this study was to examine the potential relationship between the CVH (LE8) score and the health status of patients with OA. Additionally, this study aimed to investigate the possible association between the CVH (LE8) score and other forms of arthritis, as well as to draw comparisons among different arthritis types. This observational study utilized data from the NHANES, conducted from 2005 to 2018. To examine the association between the CVH LE8 score and various arthritis types, multiple statistical approaches were employed. These included weighted multivariable logistic regression analysis, subgroup analysis, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. The study included 29,324 participants. Results indicated an inverse relationship between CVH (LE8 score) tertiles and the likelihood of developing OA (tertile 1, 10.14%; tertile 2, 7.47%; tertile 3, 4.61%; p < 0.001) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (tertile 1, 9.60%; tertile 2, 6.67%; tertile 3, 2.86%; p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference was observed for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) across the three CVH categories (p = 0.125). In the fully adjusted model 3, logistic regression analysis revealed that a higher CVH (LE8) score was associated with a lower prevalence of OA (OR = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.35-0.54, p < 0.001) and RA (OR = 0.42; 95% CI, 0.35-0.50, p < 0.001). Furthermore, diet, exercise, nicotine exposure, body mass index, and blood pressure were significantly associated with OA (p < 0.05). RCS analyses demonstrated a linear relationship between the CVH (LE8) score and OA, RA, and PsA (p-overall < 0.001, p-nonlinear > 0.05). The cardiovascular health (Life Essential 8) score demonstrated a negative linear association with the prevalence of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis among US adults. These findings offer valuable insights for developing early intervention strategies targeting populations susceptible to arthritis.