Objective: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and obstructive sleep apnea are associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) disease risk. Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) is the American Heart Association’s comprehensive framework evaluating CV health across 8 domains: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep duration, body mass index (BMI), lipids, glucose, and blood pressure (BP). This study evaluates overall CV health in SDB patients using the LE8 framework. Methods: Patients with SDB presenting to a sleep surgery clinic from May 2024 – October 2025 were included. Demographics and LE8 components were obtained from chart review. Dietary quality was assessed via Mini-EAT questionnaire (score 69, healthy). Laboratory values were within 1 year of their visit and included fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol. Use of anti-hypertensives, cholesterol-lowering medications, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) was recorded. Composite LE8 score was calculated using modified AHA guidelines, with 80 ideal CV health. Results: In total, 69 patients (75.4% male, 60.9% White) were included. Patients were middle-aged (55.2 ± 11.9 years), overweight (BMI 29.2 ± 5.1 kg/m2), and had intermediate dietary quality (Mini-EAT score 63.8 ± 8.0). Only 56.5% of patients met the AHA’s recommendation of ≥150 minutes of moderate or ≥75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. Nineteen patients (27.5%) were using GLP-1 RAs, 34 (49.3%) using anti-hypertensives, and 32 (46.4%) using cholesterol-lowering medications. On average, non-HDL cholesterol was 120.7 ± 41.7 mg/dL; fasting glucose, 100.7 ± 34.0 mg/dL; HbA1c, 5.6 ± 0.85%; systolic BP, 125.8 ± 18.6 mmHg; diastolic BP, 79.9 ± 9.7 mmHg. Nightly sleep duration averaged 6.5 ± 1.3 hours. Mean composite LE8 score was 66.2 ± 15.6, indicating intermediate CV health. Only 11 patients (15.9%) had scores in the ideal category. LE8 scores did not significantly differ by sex (p = 0.33) or age (p = 0.47). In multivariable regression analyses, Black or African American race was significantly associated with lower total LE8 scores (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Patients with SDB have intermediate or poor CV health as evaluated via LE8. Interventions targeting modifiable factors could improve CV health in this population susceptible to increased risk.
Lin et al. (Tue,) studied this question.