Midlife Cardiovascular Health and Robust Versus Frail Late-Life Status: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2022-06, Vol.77 (6), p.1222-1229
• Main Authors: Palta, Priya, Griswold, Michael, Ranadive, Radhikesh, Bandeen-Roche, Karen, Folsom, Aaron R, Petruski-Ivleva, Natalia, Burgard, Sheila, Kucharska-Newton, Anna, Windham, B Gwen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - epidemiology; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - physiology; Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular System; Cholesterol; Female; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Frailty - epidemiology; Gender differences; Health Status; Humans; Male; Middle age; Physical activity; Risk Factors; Sex differences; Survival; THE JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGY: Medical Sciences; United States - epidemiology; Women
• ISSN: 1079-5006; 1758-535X
• DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab310

Abstract Background We examined the relationship of midlife cardiovascular health (CVH) with late-life robustness among men and women and the impact of survivorship bias on sex differences in robustness. Methods Prospective analysis of 15 744 participants aged 45–64 (visit 1 median age: 54 years, 55% female, 27% Black) in 1987–1989 from the population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. CVH was operationalized according to the Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) metric of health behaviors (smoking, weight, physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose); each behavior was scored as ideal (2 points), intermediate (1 point), or poor (0 points) and summed. Late-life robust/prefrail/frailty was defined at visit 5 (2011–2013). Multinomial regression estimated relative prevalence ratios (RPRs) of late-life robustness/prefrailty/frailty/death across overall midlife LS7 score and components, for the full visit 1 sample. Separate analyses considered visit 5 survivors-only. Results For each 1-unit greater midlife LS7 score, participants had a 37% higher relative prevalence of being robust versus frail (overall RPR = 1.37 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.30–1.44]; women = 1.45 [1.36–1.54]; men = 1.24 [1.13–1.36]). Among the full visit 1 sample, women had a similar 1-level higher robustness category prevalence (RPR = 1.35 [95% CI: 1.32–1.39]) than men (RPR = 1.31 [95% CI: 1.27–1.35]) for every 1-unit higher midlife LS7 score. Among survivors, men were more likely to be robust than women at lower LS7 levels; differences were attenuated and not statistically different at higher midlife LS7 levels. Conclusions Midlife CVH is positively associated with robustness in late life among men and women. Accounting for mortality in part explains documented sex differences in robustness across all levels of LS7.