Study Reveals Declining Cardiovascular Health in Older Adults with Hypertension, Stroke, or Heart Failure

Cardiovascular health among older U.S. adults with high blood pressure, stroke, or heart failure showed significant declines between 2013 and 2018, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study analyzed data from 3,050 adults aged 65 and older using the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 health metrics, which assess diet, physical activity, smoking status, sleep, body mass index, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

Researchers found that cardiovascular health scores dropped approximately 4.1% among people with high blood pressure (from 59.6 to 57.1), 11.5% among those with stroke history (from 60.6 to 53.6), and 15.2% among heart failure patients (from 60.9 to 51.6). In contrast, adults without cardiovascular disease maintained an average score of 68 out of 100. The analysis, weighted to represent nearly 38 million older Americans, revealed that the health gap between those with and without cardiovascular conditions was largely explained by poor performance in blood pressure and physical activity metrics.

Study co-author James M. Walker noted that participants with one cardiovascular disease had Life's Essential 8 scores averaging 9 points lower than those without cardiovascular disease. This research establishes a pre-pandemic baseline that will enable future studies to assess how COVID-19 may have further impacted cardiovascular health trends. The findings underscore the urgent need for earlier intervention strategies to support aging populations, particularly as baby boomers continue to reach retirement age and medical advances enable longer survival after cardiovascular events.

The American Heart Association emphasizes that following Life's Essential 8 components early in life, even from childhood, provides the best foundation for maintaining cardiovascular health into older age. Additional information about cardiovascular health metrics is available at https://www.heart.org. The full study manuscript can be accessed through the Journal of the American Heart Association at https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha. While this cross-sectional analysis cannot prove causation, it highlights concerning trends that warrant attention from healthcare providers and policymakers addressing the growing population of older adults with cardiovascular conditions.