Association of cardiovascular health at old age with all-cause mortality: a prospective cohort study in China

BackgroundCardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of death worldwide, but there is a lack of data on whether cardiovascular health (CVH) is associated with elderly mortality in China. We investigated the relationship between the ideal CVH score of Chinese elderly and the all-cause mortality.MethodsThe Beijing Elderly Comprehensive Health Cohort Study included a total of 4,499 participants aged 60 years and above. The CVH metric was calculated at baseline and had a score ranging from 0 to 12. The relationship of CVH metrics with all-cause mortality was investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. The robustness of results was tested using subgroup and sensitivity analysis.ResultsThe median CVH score among participants was 8.00 (2.00), with only 8.0% scoring 11-12 points. 667 deaths were observed during an average follow-up time of 8.2 years. Participants with a CVH score of 11-12 had a decreased risk of all-cause mortality when compared to those with a CVH score of 0-4(HR = 0.584, 95% CI: 0.373-0.913). Participants had a 7.5% lower risk of all-cause death with each unit higher CVH score (HR = 0.925, 95%CI: 0.885-0.967) with a linearly decreasing trend (P (nonlinear) = 0.575). The relationships were greater in younger elderly people and stroke patients (P (interaction) = 0.011 and 0.037. respectively). The consistency of significant trends in sensitivity analysis shows the robustness of association (P (trend) < 0.001).ConclusionsAmong the Chinese elderly, there was a linear relationship between improving CVH scores and a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Because of the enormous benefits brought by one point, strategies are essential for improving cardiovascular health attainment.