Abstract
BACKGROUND: Life's Essential 8 (LE8), a cardiovascular health assessment tool developed by the American Heart Association, has been associated with various diseases. This study investigated the relationship between LE8 scores and glaucoma risk. METHODS: This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2008 cycle to investigate the association between LE8 scores and glaucoma risk in adults aged 40 years and older. Participants were categorized based on their LE8 scores, which encompass four modifiable health behaviors and four health factors, with higher scores indicating better cardiovascular health. Weighted multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors, were used to determine the association between LE8 scores and glaucoma risk. Subgroup analyses were also performed to assess variations across different demographic groups. RESULTS: A total of 2446 participants were included in the final analysis, comprising 214 individuals with glaucoma and 2232 without. Higher LE8 scores were significantly associated with a lower risk of glaucoma. Each 1-point increase in LE8 score was linked to a 2.4% reduction in glaucoma risk (OR 0.976; 95% CI 0.961-0.990; P = 0.004). After adjustment for age, gender, race, education, and poverty-income ratio, the association remained significant. CONCLUSION: Better cardiovascular health, as assessed by LE8 scores, is associated with reduced glaucoma risk. The LE8 score could help identify individuals at high risk for glaucoma, though longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.