Scientists say eight daily choices improve heart health and cut risk of death

A recent study has discovered that scoring low on Life's Essential 8 (LE8) could nearly double your risk of developing atrial fibrillation. However, scoring high in these eight habits could reduce your risk of the potentially fatal heart condition as well as all-cause mortality, according to News Medical.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia, where the upper chambers of the heart beat out of sync with the lower chambers. It affects over one million people in the UK and contributes to one in five strokes. These strokes are also more severe, with a higher mortality and disability rate, according to the Stroke Association. To make matters worse, atrial fibrillation is often asymptomatic, meaning people rarely get diagnosed or even know something is wrong before a stroke occurs.

Published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, scientists examined 3,161 people aged 45 or over and tracked their LE8 habits over 10 years. During the study, 424 deaths occurred and 410 people were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

They found that while a low score resulted in a higher risk of atrial fibrillation and a high score caused a lower risk, an intermediate score didn't seem to have any significant sway on the risk of this heart condition.

LE8 is an evaluation tool developed by the American Heart Association. It emphasises eight aspects we can manage daily to enhance our heart health.

Life's Essential 8 habits are:

• Food
• Physical activity
• Nicotine
• Sleep
• Weight
• Cholesterol
• Blood sugar
• Blood pressure

Examining each habit separately, the study discovered that weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels had a greater impact on a person's risk of atrial fibrillation. Meanwhile, sleep, cholesterol, smoking and physical activity didn't have any significant effect.

The researchers hope this new study will inspire healthcare professionals to incorporate LE8 changes into their advice. They also highlighted the need for future evaluations to see if specific interventions would alter the cardiovascular risk outcomes they identified.

The American Heart Association points out that to achieve a high score on the assessment as an adult, you need to:

• Follow a diet rich in whole foods, fruits, vegetables, protein, nuts, seeds and non-tropical oils
• Engage in two and a half hours of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week
• Avoid smoking
• Get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night
• Maintain a healthy BMI range
• Keep blood pressure at optimal levels, usually less than 120/80 mm Hg
• Have low cholesterol, ideally less than 5mmol/L