Research led by Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago shows that older adults with good heart health have significantly lower levels of a biomarker of neurodegeneration than those with poorer cardiovascular health.
“These findings suggest that promoting cardiovascular health in older adults may help reduce the burden of neurodegenerative diseases,” wrote Anisa Dhana, a researcher at Rush University Medical Center, and colleagues, in JAMA Network Open.
In recent years, a number of research articles have shown links between cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s disease.
This current study assessed levels of two biomarkers of neurodegeneration, neurofilament light chain (NfL) and total tau in 1,018 people aged 65 years and older taking part in the population-based Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP). The average age of the group was 73 years, 61% were female, 60% were Black, and 40% were White.
The study looked at levels of heart health, as measured by the American Heart Association’s seven-item tool, Life’s Simple 7, and correlated the score people achieved using this tool with levels of NfL and total tau.
To get a good cardiovascular health score, participants needed to: stop smoking; maintain a normal body mass index; engage in regular physical activity; consume a healthy diet; and manage dyslipidemia, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
People in the study with a high Life’s Simple 7 score (10–14 points) had approximately 19% lower levels of NfL than those with a low score (0–6 points), a statistically significant difference. The team also noted that having a high versus a low cardiovascular score seemed to slow the buildup of NfL by 1–2% per year. Total tau was not linked with cardiovascular health, however.
When nerve cells become damaged or die, as seen in many neurodegenerative diseases, NfL is released into the cerebrospinal fluid and later into the bloodstream. These qualities make it a good marker for measuring neurodegeneration.
“Promoting cardiovascular health in older adults may help alleviate the burden of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly among Black adults, who are known to experience a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease,” the authors wrote.
“Although no association between cardiovascular health and t-tau was found, it is important to note that plasma t-tau is considered one of the least reliable biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and may also originate from peripheral sources,” they added.
