Clinical cardiologyJun 14, 2018

Is how people rate their own health linked to ideal heart and blood vessel health? Results from a diverse population study

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 27, 2026

Abstract

Odds of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) increased with improved self-rated health (SRH), with an odds ratio of 4.9 for those rating their health as excellent compared to poor-fair.

Self-rated health was measured on a 5-point scale from poor to excellent.
Cardiovascular health was assessed using the AHA Life's Simple 7 metrics, yielding a total score from 0 to 14.
Participants with excellent SRH had significantly higher odds of achieving optimal CVH compared to those with poor-fair SRH.
Adjusted odds ratios for optimal CVH were 4.9 for excellent SRH, 2.2 for very good, and 1.5 for good SRH.
The association between SRH and CVH was consistent across different race/ethnicity, sex, and age groups.

Simplified

BACKGROUND: Self-rated health (SRH) is an indicator of health status-a determinant of health-promoting behaviors and a predictor of morbidity/mortality. Little is known about the association between SRH and ideal cardiovascular health (CVH), as measured by the AHA Life's Simple 7 (LS7) metrics, or whether the relationship between SRH and CVH differs by race/ethnicity.

HYPOTHESIS: Favorable SRH is associated with better CVH.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 6457 men and women (4 race/ethnicities) who participated in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. SRH was measured on a 5-point Likert scale (excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor). CVH was assessed using the LS7 metrics, each scored from 0 to 2, with a total score of 0 to 14. Scores of 0 to 8 indicate inadequate, 9 to 10, average, and 11 to 14, optimal CVH. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated for associations between SRH and CVH scores using multinomial logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, marital status, health insurance, and chronic diseases.

RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 62 ± 10 years; 53% were female. Odds of ideal CVH increased as SRH improved. Compared with poor-fair SRH, adjusted ORs and 95% CIs for optimal CVH by SRH status were excellent, 4.9 (3.4-7.0); very good, 2.2 (1.6-3.1); and good, 1.5 (1.1-2.1). Results were similar by race/ethnicity, sex, and age groups.

CONCLUSIONS: More favorable SRH was associated with better CVH, irrespective of sex, race/ethnicity, or age. Further research could explore whether optimization of SRH predicts CVH.

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Is how people rate their own health linked to ideal heart and blood vessel health? Results from a diverse population study

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