# Fewer than 5% of US military veterans may achieve optimal heart health

Source: [Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-military-veterans-optimal-heart-health.html) · 2026-11-11 · Medicine
Page: https://themorning.science/story/fewer-than-5-of-us-military-veterans-may-achieve-optimal-heart-health-7db366a691e4890f
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- A new study estimates that fewer than 5% of U.S. military veterans may achieve optimal cardiovascular health.
- The assessment uses the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 metrics.
- The authors frame the finding as an opportunity to improve prevention among veterans.

## Why it matters

The result points to a large gap between veterans and optimal cardiovascular health, which matters for researchers and clinicians designing prevention programs for this population.

## Versions

- Life's Essential 8

## Timeline

- 2026-11-11: Medical Xpress reports the study finding that fewer than 5% of U.S. military veterans may achieve optimal cardiovascular health

## Coverage

- [Fewer than 5% of US military veterans may achieve optimal heart health](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-military-veterans-optimal-heart-health.html) — Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories, 2026-11-11

Tags: cardiovascular health, veterans, prevention, life's essential 8, public health

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science