Cardio-oncology & otherCohort study
Trajectory of Cardiovascular Health Across Childhood and Adolescence
- Prospective cohort study
- prebirth cohort (Project Viva)
- single group practice, eastern Massachusetts
- Data analyzed June to December 2023
Authors' conclusion
This study provides insight into the trajectory of CVH early in life, which may contribute to CVH disparities in adulthood, and identified modifiable health behaviors for focused prevention efforts to optimize CVH in early life.
Study context
- Population
- Children of women enrolled in pregnancy (1999–2002), followed from early childhood to late adolescenceof 2218 live births
- Participants
- 1,523 children
- Exposure
- Sociodemographic groups
- Outcome
- CVH score (0-100 points; AHA Life's Essential 8), unweighted average of available metrics at each life stage
- Follow-up
- Early childhood to late adolescence
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
CVH score by life stage
Early childhood
82.6
mean · SD 8.6
Midchildhood
84.1
mean · SD 8.3
Early adolescence
82.0
mean · SD 9.8
Late adolescence
73.8
mean · SD 11.5
years
- Estimated mean (SD) age of inflection when cardiovascular health (CVH) score declined, male children
- 10.1 (0.7)
- Estimated mean (SD) age of inflection when CVH score declined, female children
- 10.0 (0.6)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Estimate |
|---|---|
| CVH trajectory by sex — Male vs Female · faster gain before inflection | β 0.79 points/year (95% CI 0.67–0.91) |
| CVH trajectory by sex — Male vs Female · faster decline after inflection | β −0.33 points/year (95% CI −0.44 to −0.22) |
| Timing of inflection by race and ethnicity — Non-Hispanic Black vs Non-Hispanic White · later inflection | β 0.32 years (95% CI 0.20–0.43) |
| Timing of inflection by race and ethnicity — Other non-Hispanic races vs Non-Hispanic White · later inflection | β 0.16 years (95% CI 0.05–0.28) |
| CVH trajectory by maternal education and household income — Some college vs College degree · later inflection | β 0.16 years (95% CI 0.07–0.26) |
| CVH trajectory by maternal education and household income — Some college vs College degree · slower gain before inflection | β −0.24 points/year (95% CI −0.40 to −0.08) |
CVH trajectory by maternal education and household income
- Lower CVH trajectory throughout childhood with mother without college degree or household income ≤$70 000/year
Original publication
Trajectory of Cardiovascular Health Across Childhood and Adolescence. JAMA Cardiol. Published 1 May 2025. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2024.4022
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it