Better cardiovascular health scores were linked to fewer new artery disease cases
Among high-risk Mediterranean participants, better health scores were associated with less peripheral artery disease. The analysis cannot establish that changing the score prevents disease.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Among Mediterranean participants already at high cardiovascular risk, those with optimal cardiovascular health scores had a lower rate of newly diagnosed peripheral artery disease than those with inadequate scores. Average scores were also associated with a lower rate. These observational comparisons cannot show that improving the score would cause disease risk to fall.
The analysis measured associations rather than assigning people to score categories. Statistical adjustment does not establish causation, and findings from this high-risk Mediterranean population may not apply broadly.
What researchers found
Optimal versus inadequate health scores
Over a median 4.8 years, adjusted hazard ratio 0.25 (95% CI 0.10–0.65): about one-quarter of the relative hazard, not one-quarter of the absolute disease probability.
What the health score combined
The score included smoking, body size, physical activity, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose metabolism and Mediterranean diet adherence. Its association with disease concerns the combined profile and does not isolate the contribution of any particular component.
Interpreting the disease estimate
The outcome was newly occurring peripheral artery disease. A hazard ratio compares the rate of new cases during follow-up between groups. It does not tell an individual their absolute probability of developing the condition.
The original publication
Life's Simple 7 and Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease: Results from the PREDIMED Study and an Updated Meta-Analysis.
López-Laguna N, Toledo E, Hershey MS et al.
Nutrients · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40647164
- Record checked
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