This cross-sectional study examined how Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores — including both behavioral (diet, sleep, physical activity, smoking) and clinical (blood glucose, lipids, blood pressure, BMI) components — relate to cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in 2,527 Chinese adults aged ≥65 from the Ma'anshan Healthy Aging Cohort.
Each 10-point rise in LE8 score linked to a 0.532-point higher MMSE score (95% CI: 0.353–0.712, P<0.001) and a 16.5% lower MCI risk (OR=0.835, 95% CI: 0.742–0.945, P=0.004). Behavioral components (diet, sleep, physical activity) showed stronger associations with cognitive outcomes than clinical factors (blood glucose, lipids). Dose-response relationships were linear.
- Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference about LE8 and cognitive outcomes. - Single Chinese cohort (Ma'anshan) may limit generalizability to other ethnic or geographic groups. - Subgroup analyses suggest effect heterogeneity by sex and depressive status, but the study was not powered to confirm these interactions.
Encourage older adults to prioritize modifiable behaviors — especially diet quality, physical activity, and sleep — as these show the strongest links to cognitive health, even beyond managing blood glucose or lipids. Behavior-focused interventions may be the highest-yield strategy for preventing cognitive decline in this age group.
Explore related topics
