Prevention & lipidsCohort study
Life course adversity, premature mortality, and life expectancy: role of Life's Essential 8
- Prospective cohort study
- UK Biobank
Authors' conclusion
Life course adversities are associated with increased risks of premature mortality and reduced life expectancy.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participantsLE8 data for 94,289
- Participants
- 148,137 participants
- Exposure
- ≥2 adversities vs no adversity, in childhood and in adulthood
- Outcome
- Premature mortality (death before age 75) and life expectancy
- Follow-up
- Median 13.4 years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Premature mortality
Each group vs no adversityHazard ratio (95% CI)
≥2 adversities in childhood
1.237(1.132–1.351)
≥2 adversities in adulthood
1.229(1.121–1.348)
- Premature deaths recorded
- 3,070
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | years of life lost (years) (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| Years of life lost at age 45 — ≥2 adversities in childhood vs No adversity | 1.026 (0.584–1.468) |
| Years of life lost at age 45 — ≥2 adversities in adulthood vs No adversity | 1.322 (0.862–1.783) |
Premature mortality and life expectancy, stratified by LE8
- Associations attenuated and eventually eliminated as LE8 levels increased
- P for multiplicative and additive interaction < 0.05
Original publication
Life course adversity, premature mortality, and life expectancy: role of Life's Essential 8. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 13 August 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf521
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it