A new study analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2008 has found that better cardiovascular health is associated with a lower risk of retinopathy in US adults.

The research, conducted by Robert N. Kleinstein, OD, MPH, PhD, and colleagues, used the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) test to assess cardiovascular health. The LE8 test evaluates eight factors: nicotine exposure, diet, physical activity, sleep duration, body mass index (BMI), non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose. This study is notable for including sleep duration as a health metric, which was not part of previous cardiovascular health assessments.

The analysis included 4,249 participants aged 20 years and older, with approximately equal numbers of males and females. Retinopathy was assessed using non-stereoscopic retinal color photographs evaluated by trained graders.

After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the researchers found that participants with medium LE8 scores had 39% lower odds of retinopathy compared to those with low scores. Those with high LE8 scores had even greater protection, with 56% lower odds of retinopathy.

“These results show the benefits of good cardiovascular health in preventing microvascular complications,” Kleinstein noted. The findings underscore the importance of modifiable health and lifestyle factors in preventing diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy.

The study reinforces the need for clinicians to address cardiovascular health behaviors with all patients, whether they currently have retinopathy or not. Educating patients about these modifiable factors could help prevent the development or slow the progression of retinopathy.