The age‐dependent association of Life's Simple 7 with transitions across cognitive states after age 60

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundLife's Simple 7 (LS7) aims to promote ideal cardiovascular health (CVH). Its association with different cognitive states in the older old is unclear.ObjectivesTo assess the associations of LS7 with transitions across normal cognition, cognitive impairment, no dementia (CIND), and dementia and evaluate cognitive impairment‐free years of life by LS7‐defined CVH levels in older adults.MethodsThis cohort study included 2746 participants from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, regularly examined over 15 years. Total LS7 scores were created and dichotomized into worse and better CVH categories. The associations of LS7 total scores and CVH categories with cognitive states were assessed with multistate models in the whole sample and in younger old (<78 years) and older old adults (≥78 years) separately. Cognitive impairment‐free life years by CVH categories were then predicted.ResultsA 1‐point increment in the LS7 total score was associated with lower dementia risk in younger old adults (hazard ratio: 0.87 [0.78–0.97]) but not in older old adults (1.04 [0.97–1.13]). Better CVH was also associated with a lower risk of transition from normal cognition to CIND (0.76 [0.61–0.95]) and from normal cognition to dementia (0.42 [0.21–0.82]) in younger old adults. In younger old adults, those with better CVH were predicted to have two‐to‐three more cognitive impairment‐free life years than those with worse CVH.ConclusionMaintaining LS7‐defined ideal CVH seems relevant in younger old adults but not in older old adults when considering the potential protective effects against cognitive impairment.