Association Between Life's Essential 8 and Atherogenic Index of Plasma in Adults: Insights from NHANES 2007-2018

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and the Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP). Methods: We conducted an analysis of data from 8,215 U.S. adults aged 20 years and older, utilizing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2007 to 2018. Based on LE8 scores, Cardiovascular Health (CVH) was stratified into three levels—low, moderate, and high—while AIP was categorized into four risk levels: extremely low (AIP<-0.3), low (-0.3≤AIP<0.1), medium (0.1≤AIP<0.24), and high (AIP≤0.24). Weighted ordinal logistic regression analysis was utilized to examine the association between CVH scores and AIP risk levels, adjusting for potential confounding variables. Results: A significant inverse correlation exists between CVH scores and AIP risk levels (OR=0.51, 95%CI: 0.49-0.54, P<0.001). Higher CVH scores were associated with lower AIP risk levels, while lower CVH scores corresponded to elevated AIP risk levels. Notably, improvements in specific CVH components such as Body Mass Index and Blood Lipids exhibited a strong relationship with reductions in AIP risk levels. Conclusions: Enhancing CVH is vital for effectively reducing AIP risk levels, thus underscoring the critical importance of health management strategies in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.