The Life’s Essential 8 test was made to measure and improve cardiovascular health, but could be a major indicator for young adults with prediabetes on where they may be going wrong
Young adults who improve their LE8 score were more likely to reverse prediabetes(Image: GETTY)
Young adults with prediabetes may still be able to reverse the condition by improving eight daily habits and health measurements. These are known as Life’s Essential 8, a system that was developed by the American Heart Association to help improve people’s cardiovascular health, but a new study has found it could also stop diabetes before it properly begins.
Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers examined how a person’s LE8 score affected their diabetes progression among young adults with prediabetes. The study followed data from over 3,000 young adults, 974 of whom had prediabetes, for about 13 years.
It found that people with higher LE8 scores were more likely to stay prediabetic or revert back to normal blood glucose levels over this time. Those with the top LE8 scores lowered their risk of progressing to diabetes by 90% compared to those with poor LE8 scores.
Prediabetes is usually a precursor to type two diabetes but can sometimes be reversed with enough intervention(Image: GETTY)
They concluded that progression and reversing prediabetes can be influenced by the eight modifiable lifestyle factors in the LE8 score as well as the impact of cardiovascular health on diabetes mechanisms. The researchers noted: “In conclusion, maintaining optimal cardiovascular health may prevent diabetes progression among young adults with (prediabetes).”
Prediabetes affects more than one in three adults globally and is usually a precursor to type 2 diabetes. However, having prediabetes does not automatically mean a person will develop diabetes as it can be reversed and prevented in some cases.
Life’s Essential 8 measures:
- Diet
- Physical activity
- Nicotine exposure
- Sleep health
- Body mass index
- Blood lipids
- Blood glucose
- Blood pressure
Each of these measures is scored out of 100, with higher scores indicating a healthier lifestyle and better cardiovascular health. High LE8 scores have also been previously tied to a lower risk of mortality and other adverse health issues in the general population.
To score highly in each category, you’ll need to eat healthy, well-balanced meals throughout the day with a variety of foods and healthy portion sizes. It recommends limiting sweetened drinks, alcohol, salty food, fatty foods, processed meats, butter, whole milk, full-fat yoghurt and cheese.
For an easy start, the American Heart Association recommends taking the skin off poultry before cooking and using plant-based oils like olive or avocado instead of things like coconut or palm oil.
Diet plays a major role in many of the LE8 factors(Image: GETTY)
On the physical activity side, in order to score highly, each week you’ll need to get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, like dancing or gardening. Or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity like running. Maintaining a healthy BMI and good cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose readings can largely be done through improving your diet and movement too.
Quitting tobacco, getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night and maintaining a healthy BMI are modifications that can be incorporated into a person’s daily life too in order to improve their scores.
