Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and liver function: a cross-sectional study
BackgroundLife’s Essential 8 (LE8) score, developed by the American Heart Association, assesses cardiovascular health using eight components: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep health, body mass index, lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Liver function is a critical indicator o...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1515883/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841558699666046976 |
|---|---|
| author | Qiaoli Liang Menglong Zou Ziming Peng |
| author_facet | Qiaoli Liang Menglong Zou Ziming Peng |
| author_sort | Qiaoli Liang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundLife’s Essential 8 (LE8) score, developed by the American Heart Association, assesses cardiovascular health using eight components: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep health, body mass index, lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Liver function is a critical indicator of overall health, with impairments linked to numerous chronic diseases. While the LE8 score has been extensively studied in relation to cardiovascular outcomes, its association with liver function remains underexplored. Understanding this relationship is crucial for integrating cardiovascular and hepatic health management, particularly given the shared metabolic pathways underlying these systems. This study aims to examine the relationship between LE8 scores and liver function indicators in a large cohort, addressing a critical gap in understanding the interplay between cardiovascular and liver health.MethodsData from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used in this cross-sectional study. The study included 21,873 participants, stratified into low (0–49), moderate (50–79), and high (80–100) LE8 score categories. The relationship between LE8 scores and liver function markers, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and ALT/AST ratio, was evaluated using multivariable linear regression, smoothed curve fitting, threshold effect analysis, and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. Subgroup analyses were performed based on sex and age to assess potential interactions.ResultsHigher LE8 scores were significantly associated with improved liver function, particularly highlighted by two major findings. First, nonlinear associations were observed between LE8 scores and liver function parameters, including ALT and ALT/AST ratio, with stronger effects beyond specific thresholds (ALT: 50.625, ALT/AST: 61.875). Second, subgroup analyses revealed that these associations were more pronounced in younger participants (<60 years), suggesting age-specific differences in the relationship. These age-related differences might be attributed to variations in metabolic function or differences in the severity of cardiovascular and liver-related risk factors between younger and older individuals. WQS regression identified body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and nicotine exposure as the strongest contributors to liver function markers. These findings underscore the potential of LE8 scores as a comprehensive indicator for liver health, particularly in younger populations.ConclusionThis study suggests that LE8 scores is associated with improved liver function. Clinicians and public health practitioners could consider integrating LE8 scores into routine assessments to help identify individuals at risk for liver dysfunction, particularly among younger populations. Further research should explore whether interventions targeting cardiovascular health could also improve liver function outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-70b0e88827574f4f864908bb05a0fedc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-70b0e88827574f4f864908bb05a0fedc2025-01-06T06:59:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2025-01-011110.3389/fnut.2024.15158831515883Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and liver function: a cross-sectional studyQiaoli Liang0Menglong Zou1Ziming Peng2Doumen Qiaoli Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhuhai, Guangdong, ChinaThe First Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, ChinaFangchenggang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fangchenggang, Guangxi, ChinaBackgroundLife’s Essential 8 (LE8) score, developed by the American Heart Association, assesses cardiovascular health using eight components: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep health, body mass index, lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Liver function is a critical indicator of overall health, with impairments linked to numerous chronic diseases. While the LE8 score has been extensively studied in relation to cardiovascular outcomes, its association with liver function remains underexplored. Understanding this relationship is crucial for integrating cardiovascular and hepatic health management, particularly given the shared metabolic pathways underlying these systems. This study aims to examine the relationship between LE8 scores and liver function indicators in a large cohort, addressing a critical gap in understanding the interplay between cardiovascular and liver health.MethodsData from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used in this cross-sectional study. The study included 21,873 participants, stratified into low (0–49), moderate (50–79), and high (80–100) LE8 score categories. The relationship between LE8 scores and liver function markers, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and ALT/AST ratio, was evaluated using multivariable linear regression, smoothed curve fitting, threshold effect analysis, and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. Subgroup analyses were performed based on sex and age to assess potential interactions.ResultsHigher LE8 scores were significantly associated with improved liver function, particularly highlighted by two major findings. First, nonlinear associations were observed between LE8 scores and liver function parameters, including ALT and ALT/AST ratio, with stronger effects beyond specific thresholds (ALT: 50.625, ALT/AST: 61.875). Second, subgroup analyses revealed that these associations were more pronounced in younger participants (<60 years), suggesting age-specific differences in the relationship. These age-related differences might be attributed to variations in metabolic function or differences in the severity of cardiovascular and liver-related risk factors between younger and older individuals. WQS regression identified body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and nicotine exposure as the strongest contributors to liver function markers. These findings underscore the potential of LE8 scores as a comprehensive indicator for liver health, particularly in younger populations.ConclusionThis study suggests that LE8 scores is associated with improved liver function. Clinicians and public health practitioners could consider integrating LE8 scores into routine assessments to help identify individuals at risk for liver dysfunction, particularly among younger populations. Further research should explore whether interventions targeting cardiovascular health could also improve liver function outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1515883/fullLife’s Essential 8NHANESliver functioncardiovascular healthcross-sectional study |
| spellingShingle | Qiaoli Liang Menglong Zou Ziming Peng Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and liver function: a cross-sectional study Frontiers in Nutrition Life’s Essential 8 NHANES liver function cardiovascular health cross-sectional study |
| title | Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and liver function: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and liver function: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and liver function: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and liver function: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Associations between Life’s Essential 8 and liver function: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | associations between life s essential 8 and liver function a cross sectional study |
| topic | Life’s Essential 8 NHANES liver function cardiovascular health cross-sectional study |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1515883/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qiaoliliang associationsbetweenlifesessential8andliverfunctionacrosssectionalstudy AT menglongzou associationsbetweenlifesessential8andliverfunctionacrosssectionalstudy AT zimingpeng associationsbetweenlifesessential8andliverfunctionacrosssectionalstudy |