Pacific D
Life’s Simple 7 for Cardiovascular and Total Health: How are we doing? (306778)
Brent Egan, 1University of South Carolina School of Medicine–Greenville and Prisma Health*Jiexiang Li, College of Charleston
Keywords: Life’s Simple 7, NHANES , Health, Health Equity
Background: Life’s Simple 7 (LS7; diet, physical activity, smoking, BMI, BP, cholesterol, glucose) was developed by AHA to track and improve CV risk and outcomes. Individuals with high vs. low LS7 scores have 30%–80% less hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, chronic kidney and lung diseases, and cancer. Since LS7 serves as a population health marker, national trends in demographic groups can inform efforts to optimize health and health equity. Methods: LS7 was assessed in 35,562 NHANES 1999–2016 participants 20 years and older, free of CVD with all LS7 data. Data were disaggregated by time, age, race / ethnicity and sex. For each LS7 item, 0 points were assigned for poor, 1 point for intermediate, and 2 points for optimal levels; maximum LS7 score = 14. Conclusions: Demographic factors were associated with large differences in LS7 scores. No group has optimal scores or is improving with time. LS7 scores are sharply lower in middle-age and older than younger adults, in NHBs than NHWs and Hispanics, and in men than women. Hispanics had similar LS7 scores to NHWs, despite less income, education and health insurance.