Trends in prevalence of health and cardiovascular risk factors based on Life's Essential 8 among US adults, 2007–2020
Authors' conclusion
This study found improvement in physical activity, smoking, sleep health, and blood lipids and worsening of weight, blood glucose, and blood pressure among US adults from 2007-2008 to 2017-2020.
Study context
- Population
- US adults, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2008 to 2017–2020
- Participants
- 26,548 adults
- Exposure
- Survey cycles 2007-2008 vs 2017-2020
- Outcome
- Trends in prevalence of health factors and risk factors based on Life's Essential 8 (LE8)
- Follow-up
- 2007-2008 to 2017-2020
Methodological detailsnationally representative survey (NHANES), weighted prevalence, logistic regression trend analysis
- Nationally representative survey (NHANES)
- Weighted prevalence
- Logistic regression trend analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prevalence of LE8 risk factors
- Lack of physical activity decreased
- 27.2% to 22.5%
- Current smoking decreased
- 21.2% to 15.9%
- Less sleep time decreased
- 37.1% to 22.7%
- Hyperlipidemia decreased
- 55.8% to 50.8%
- Obesity increased
- 33.9% to 43.3%
- Hypertension increased
- 31.5% to 34.6%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Prevalence of LE8 health factors · 2007-2008 to 2017-2020
- Sufficient physical activity: significant increase
- 59.7% to 66.7%
- Never smoking: significant increase
- 50.3% to 55.5%
- Enough sleep time: significant increase
- 56.8% to 60.6%
- Normal blood lipids: significant increase
- 30.2% to 35.6%
- Normal weight: significant decrease
- 30.8% to 25.7%
- Normal blood glucose: significant decrease
- 71.5% to 64.8%
- Normal blood pressure: significant decrease
- 61.3% to 58.7%
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Trends in prevalence of health and cardiovascular risk factors based on Life's Essential 8 among US adults, 2007–2020. Obesity (Silver Spring). Published 16 July 2025. doi:10.
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