Wang L, Song L, Li D, et al. - A lower lifetime risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) was observed in relation to a higher number of cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics.

• This is a study of 82,349 participants in whom CVH status was assessed using seven metrics (smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, diet, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose).

• Presence of 0 to 2, 3 to 4, and 5 to 7 ideal cardiovascular metrics were classified as low, moderate, and high CVH status, respectively.

• Increase in the age‐adjusted incident rate and lifetime risk of CVD, at 35 years index age, was noted with decreasing number of ideal CVH metrics.

• There was a consistent link between the direction of change in status of CVH and age‐adjusted incident rate as well as lifetime risk of CVD.

• Lower lifetime risk of CVD was observed in relation to improvement from low to moderate (37.6%) or to high status (24.4%) at 35 years index age, vs consistently low status (44.6%).

• The years of life free from CVD could be prolonged by improving CVH.

• The pattern of incident rate as well as lifetime risk across alteration in CVH status was found to be similar at 45 and 55 years index age.