Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and abdominal aortic calcification among US Adults: a cross-sectional study

Cardiovascular health (CVH) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) are closely linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related mortality. However, the relationship between CVH metrics via Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) and AAC remains unexplored. The study analyzed data from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohort, which included adults aged 40 or above. The research used the LE8 algorithm to evaluate CVH. Semi-quantitative AAC-24 scoring techniques were employed to assess AAC, categorized into no calcification, mild to moderate calcification, and severe calcification. The primary analysis involved 2,478 participants. Following adjustments for multiple factors, the LE8 score exhibited a significant association with ACC risk (Mild-moderate ACC: 0.87, 95