Share on PinterestDesign: MNT, Photo: Eva-Katalin/Getty Images & FatCamera/Getty ImagesResearchers say that increasing your Life's Essential 8 score can lower your risk of developing heart disease. A new study shows that people with a family history of cardiovascular disease have a two-fold lower risk compared to those without genetic risk factors. Taking care of your cardiovascular health can also slow down the biological aging process.
Taking heart-healthy actions may help reverse the cellular aging process, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAMA).
To identify risk factors for heart disease, researchers conducted a large, multigenerational study of 5,682 adults, with an average age of 56, more than half of whom were women.
The scientists used a combination of interviews, physical exams, laboratory tests, and an assessment using the American Heart Association's Life Essentials 8 tool, which incorporates information from dietary intake, physical activity, hours of sleep per night, smoking status, BMI, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure to determine a score indicating cardiovascular health.
The scientists also estimated biological age based on DNA methylation and assessed a person's genetic propensity towards accelerated biological aging.
“Some people believe that because their parents or family members have heart disease, they're not cut out for it,” says Dr. Yu-min Ni, a cardiologist and lipidologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in California, who was not involved in the study. “But this study shows the opposite: taking care of yourself can help slow the toll that aging takes on your body. This study actually showed that people at high genetic risk who practice the Life Essential 8 have significantly improved cardiovascular health compared to people without genetic risk.”
“I think this is a really important point – you're not destined to have a heart attack because of your genetics,” Ni told Medical News Today. “You don't have to give up and think, 'There's nothing I can do, it runs in my family.' This study shows that there's a lot you can do, and that by adopting a healthy lifestyle not only can you reduce your risk of heart disease, but you can change your genes to some extent. The more you take care of yourself, the more you can slow the toll that aging takes on your body.”
DNA methylation regulates gene expression and is considered a potential biomarker to predict biological aging, which is determined by genetic makeup, lifestyle factors, and stress, and is thought to increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
“Cardiovascular risk factors affect DNA methylation, which in turn affects the biological aging process,” Dr. Karishma Patwa, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology in New York, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today. “The older your epigenetic age, the greater your burden of cardiovascular disease.”
Study participants were followed for 11 to 14 years and monitored for new heart disease events, deaths due to cardiovascular disease, or death from any cause.
The researchers' findings include:
For every 13-point increase in Life's Essential 8 score, there was a 35% reduced risk of new-onset cardiovascular disease, a 36% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 29% reduced risk of all-cause mortality. Participants at high risk of accelerated aging had the most beneficial results with regard to DNA methylation: in participants at high genetic risk of accelerated aging, the association between Life's Essential 8 score and cardiovascular health was almost 40% compared to 20% in all participants.
“This study found an association between Life Essential 8 and genetic changes in DNA,” said Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the structural heart program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in California, who was not involved in the study.
“But more importantly, it explains why lifestyle factors are so important and how they can lead to changes in DNA. This adds new information to decades of research and is additional information that can be shared with patients,” Chen told Medical News Today.
This study had several limitations, which include:
The study used previously collected health data and could not establish causal relationships. Most of the participants were of white European descent, so the results may not be generalizable to other races or ethnicities.
Experts say lifestyle changes are important and are always the first step in controlling cardiovascular disease.
“The study didn't take into account how cardiovascular health improved,” Ni points out. “If improvements could be achieved naturally through lifestyle changes, that's probably better, but this study didn't look at that difference.”
But sometimes lifestyle factors alone aren't enough.
“Lifestyle changes are always the first step. That's the foundation,” says Chen, “but if there's no improvement, medication may be necessary. But medication doesn't replace lifestyle changes; in fact, it exacerbates them. Exercise and a proper diet should be continued while continuing medication.”
According to the report published in 2023, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide.
Experts say early treatment of cardiovascular diseases is important so that the progression of the disease can be halted before it becomes severe.
“This study suggests that good cardiovascular health may alter DNA methylation, a key process that influences cellular aging, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Jiantao Ma, an associate professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts and senior study author, told Medical News Today. “Most importantly for the general public, our findings support that heart-healthy behaviors (healthier diet, being more active, not smoking, healthy sleep) and managing heart disease risk factors (weight management, maintaining healthy cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels) are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, death from heart disease and stroke, and death from all causes.”
Heart problems aren't always obvious: Chest pain is a well-known indicator of cardiovascular disease, but experts say there are other early warning signs to look out for.
“Chest pain, pressure, or tightness, especially if associated with physical activity, are signs of cardiovascular disease,” Ni said. “Palpitations, skipped pulses, fainting, or feeling like you might be about to faint are all signs of heart disease. Other signs include shortness of breath, fatigue, and leg swelling.”
It's important to listen to your body.
“Pay attention to your symptoms,” Chen says, “and if they're interfering with your life, talk to a medical professional. If they stop you from being as active as you used to be, you should see a doctor.”
