A recent study published in JAMA Network Open has revealed a significant link between cardiovascular health (CVH) and the biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This groundbreaking research sheds light on how maintaining optimal heart health may reduce the risk of cognitive decline, slow brain aging, and potentially lower the risk of developing dementia.
The Role of Cardiovascular Health in Neurodegenerative Disease Risk
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and neurodegenerative diseases share several common risk factors, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and smoking. The American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 tool is designed to improve CVH through better physical fitness, healthier diets, maintaining a normal body mass index (BMI), and controlling diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Those who score highly on Life’s Simple 7 generally exhibit optimal CVH and are at a reduced risk of developing heart disease and stroke.
However, emerging research suggests that optimal CVH may also lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. This includes slowing cognitive decline and reducing the presence of white matter hyperintensity volumes, which are associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
About the Study
The study examined whether CVH influences biomarkers of neurodegeneration, particularly neurofilament light chain (NfL) and total tau (t-tau), by analyzing data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP). The CHAP study is a population-based project focused on identifying risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive impairment, and other types of dementia. The cohort included 10,802 Black and White American individuals aged 65 and older from the South Side of Chicago, with demographic data, medical histories, and serum samples collected every three years between 1993 and 2012.
The final analysis involved 1,018 participants, with serum samples from 1,327 individuals selected for NfL and t-tau measurements. The CVH score was derived using the Life’s Simple 7 tool, which considers factors such as BMI, diet, physical activity, smoking status, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Participants were assigned a score from zero to two based on their adherence to these factors, with higher scores indicating better heart health.
Study Findings
The results revealed that individuals with higher CVH scores—between 10 and 14—had significantly lower serum concentrations of NfL. A one-point increase in CVH score was associated with lower NfL levels, indicating a slower rate of neurodegeneration. However, no significant association was found between CVH and serum t-tau concentrations.
In particular, higher CVH scores were linked to a reduction in NfL levels among individuals carrying the APOE e4 allele, a genetic marker associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Notably, these effects were consistent across both Black and White participants, highlighting the broad applicability of these findings across racial groups.
Moreover, individuals with the lowest CVH scores experienced an annual increase in NfL levels by 7.1%, while those with the highest CVH scores saw a slower increase in NfL levels, at just 5.2% annually. This suggests that individuals with optimal CVH may experience slower brain aging over time.
Conclusions
This study underscores the importance of maintaining good cardiovascular health, not only for heart disease prevention but also for protecting against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Older adults with higher CVH scores had lower serum concentrations of NfL, which is a biomarker of brain aging. Furthermore, these findings suggest that maintaining optimal heart health may be especially beneficial for those with genetic predispositions, such as carriers of the APOE e4 allele.
In addition, the research highlights the need to prioritize cardiovascular health in Black adults, who are disproportionately affected by CVDs and may benefit significantly from interventions that improve heart health to also reduce their risk of dementia. These findings offer valuable insight into how public health initiatives aimed at improving cardiovascular health could potentially help combat the rising burden of neurodegenerative diseases in aging populations.
You Might Be Interested In:
-
Probiotic Drink Kefir Shows Promise in Preventing Alzheimer’s
-
Older Adults May Have Stronger Immunity to Bird Flu, Penn Study Finds
-
Dry Air Exposure Linked to Dehydration and Inflammation in Human Airways
