AHA’s Cardiac Risk Metric Helps to Predict Kidney Disease

The American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 metric, developed to measure and promote cardiovascular health, can help to predict a lower risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a new study.

Ideal levels of Life’s Simple 7 health factors include: nonsmoker or quit >1 year ago; BMI <25 kg/m²; ≥150 minutes/week of physical activity; healthy dietary pattern (high in fruits and vegetables, fish, and fiber-rich whole grains; low in sodium and sugar-sweetened beverages); total cholesterol <200 mg/dL; blood pressure <120/80 mmHg; and fasting blood glucose <100 mg/dL.
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To determine whether the Life’s Simple 7 metric could be useful in predicting CKD risk, the researchers followed 14,832 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants (at baseline, mean age 54 years, 55% women, and 26% African American).

The investigators saw 2743 incident CKD cases over a median follow-up of 22 years. Smoking, BMI, physical activity, blood pressure, and blood glucose were associated with CKD risk, however, diet and blood cholesterol weren’t. CKD risk was inversely related to the number of ideal health factors.

A model containing the Life’s Simple 7 health factors was more predictive of CKD risk than the base model including only age, sex, race, and estimated glomerular filtration rate.

“Attainment of ideal cardiovascular health may also have substantial benefit for prevention of chronic kidney disease,” the researchers concluded, noting they believe this study marks the first investigation of a combination health factors as defined by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 and incident CKD in a general population. “Recommending these ideal health factors may be effective as a population-wide chronic kidney disease preventive strategy.”

—Mike Bederka

Reference:
Rebholz CM, Anderson CAM, Grams ME, et al. Relationship of the American Heart Association’s Impact Goals (Life’s Simple 7) with risk of chronic kidney disease: results from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Cohort Study [published online April 6, 2016]. J Am Heart Assoc. doi:10.1161/JAHA.116.003192.