Abstract P369: Patterns of American Heart Association "life's Essential 8" Scores in Children with Down Syndrome

Introduction: Children with Down syndrome (DS) have unique cardiovascular (CV) risk profiles. AHA’s “Life’s Essential 8” (LE8) scores were developed to track comprehensive CV health over the life span. LE8 scores have not been described for children with DS. Methods: Children 8-18 years old with DS were enrolled in a multi-site, cross-sectional study. LE8 measures were obtained prospectively and scored as described previously. Controls were obtained from published National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Table 1 describes components of each composite score (not all components available in NHANES). Results are presented by age group (8 to <12, ≥12 to 19 years). Statistics were descriptive with 1 sample t tests to compare the cohort with population means. Results: A total of 54 patients with DS, 28 (52%) females, mean age 14.3. years (range 8-18 years) were enrolled. Table 1 lists LE8 scores by age group and LE8 component. The composite LE8 score for children with DS is worse at ages 8-11 and similar at 12-19 compared to the general population. At 8-11 years patients with DS had worse activity, and non-HDL cholesterol scores. At 12-19 years patients with DS had better diet and tobacco scores, but worse non-HDL-C scores. Conclusion: Children with DS have unique cardiovascular risk profiles compared to the general population. Composite LE8 scores are worse for young children with DS due to inactivity and cholesterol scores. Composite scores improved in older children with DS compared to the general population based on a stable diet score and less tobacco exposure, but cholesterol scores remained low. Variability in LE8 components can be used to guide preventive practices and health counseling in children with DS.