Life's Essential 8

16 hours ago
2 min read

Your Heart Health Scorecard

From Cardiologist Dr. Mike at Evexeya Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States — and most heart attacks and strokes are preventable. The American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 framework identifies eight measurable factors that have the greatest impact on heart health, giving you a clear picture of where you stand and what to work on.

Image Depicting 8 Elements of Essential 8 Factors

What Is Life's Essential 8?

Originally launched in 2010 as Life's Simple 7, the framework was updated in 2022 with a new, more precise 0–100 scoring system and the addition of sleep as an eighth independent risk factor. Each metric is scored separately, and your overall score is the average across all eight:

Score	Category
80–100	High Cardiovascular Health
50–79	Moderate Cardiovascular Health
0–49	Low Cardiovascular Health

Most Americans score in the moderate range. You can calculate your own score for free at https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/my-life-check.

The Eight Metrics

All eight factors are modifiable — meaning your score can improve with the right changes:

Metric	What to Aim For
🥗 Healthy Diet	Whole foods, fruits & vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats (olive/canola oil); Mediterranean Diet
🏃 Physical Activity	150 min/week moderate OR 75 min/week vigorous exercise
🚭 Nicotine Avoidance	Zero cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or other nicotine products
😴 Healthy Sleep	7–9 hours per night consistently (new addition in 2022)
⚖️ Healthy Weight	BMI 18.5–24.9
🩸 Blood Lipids	Non-HDL cholesterol < 130 mg/dL (no fasting required)
🩺 Blood Sugar	Fasting glucose < 100 mg/dL or HbA1c < 5.7%
💊 Blood Pressure	Below 120/80 mmHg

Why it Matters

Research across tens of thousands of Americans shows that every 10-point increase in your LE8 score is associated with at least a 20% relative risk reduction in heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death — across all age groups. Higher scores also reduce risk for heart failure, diabetes, and dementia. The trajectory of improvement matters just as much as where you start.

Know Your Score — We Can Help

At Evexeya Health, we have the time to go through all eight metrics with you in depth — something rarely possible in a standard 15-minute visit. As a board-certified cardiologist with advanced training in lipidology, Dr. Frangiskakis offers comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment, personalized action plans, and ongoing monitoring to help you actually move the needle.

📅 Ready to Find Out Where You Stand?

Evexeya Health is accepting new patients now. Visit EvexeyaHealth.com or call our office to schedule a new patient consultation.

This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance.