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The following is a summary of “Association Between Life’s Crucial 9 and Severe Abdominal Aortic Calcification in U.S. Adults: The Mediating Role of the Systemic Inflammatory Response Index,” published in the February 2025 issue of Frontiers in Endocrinology by Tang et al. 

The relationship between Life’s Crucial 9 (LC9) that incorporates Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) and severe abdominal aortic calcification (SAAC) was not well understood.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the relationship between LC9 scores and the incidence of SAAC in the US population.  

They analyzed data from 2,323 individuals from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycle. Advanced statistical techniques, including multivariable logistic regression and weighted quantile sum regression, were used to explore LC9 and its components in relation to SAAC. Subgroup interaction analyses strengthened the findings, and mediation analysis examined the role of the systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) in the association between LC9 and SAAC.  

The results showed a 10-point increase in LC9 scores was linked to a 26% lower prevalence of SAAC (P < 0.001). Higher LC9 scores significantly reduced SAAC prevalence (P < 0.05). The WQS analysis identified tobacco exposure, blood pressure, blood glucose, and mental health as key factors associated with SAAC, with an odds ratio of 0.244 (95% CI: 0.119-0.495). The SIRI positively correlated with SAAC (P < 0.05) and decreased as LC9 scores rose (β = -0.09, P < 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that SIRI contributed 5.8% to the association between LC9 and SAAC (P < 0.001).  

Investigators concluded a strong inverse relationship existed between elevated LC9 scores and reduced SAAC incidence, suggesting LC9’s crucial role in reducing SAAC frequency, with SIRI mediating the relationship. 

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1526114/abstract