Promoting cardiovascular health in older adults could help alleviate the burden of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly among Black adults who experience a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, a new study shows. The data also linked one [Alzheimer’s disease-related biomarker](https://www.mcknights.com/news/study-blood-test-spots-cognitive-decline-biomarkers-in-midlife-women/) with cardiovascular health, but not the other one studied.
Researchers wanted to understand the link between cardiovascular health and biomarkers that indicate a person is experiencing neurodegeneration. They looked at two neurodegeneration biomarkers in particular: neurofilament light chain (NfL) and total tau (t-tau). The [study](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2831217?guestAccessKey=c0957767-f5eb-4d6d-88a4-15c747418b57&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=031125) was published Tuesday in _JAMA Network Open._
The team analyzed data from 1,018 adults who were over the age of 65 and part of the Chicago Health and Aging Project. People with high cardiovascular health scores had significantly lower concentrations of NfL in their blood. Cardiovascular health scores weren’t linked to t-tau concentrations, the data showed.
The cardiovascular health score includes seven factors such as regular exercise, healthy eating and smoking status. People with the lowest scores had worse cardiovascular health, while those with higher scores had better cardiovascular health.
Those with better cardiovascular health (and higher scores) were mostly white and had attained a higher level of education. Participants with better cardiovascular health scores had lower levels of NfL compared to those with worse cardiovascular health. Higher cardiovascular health scores were linked to slower annual increases of NfL levels as people aged. There was no association between cardiovascular health and levels of t-tau, the data showed.
NfL and t-tau are biomarkers of neurodegeneration that are linked to many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease. Having higher levels of NfL and t-tau may be attributed to different risk factors and pathways of neurodegenerative diseases, the authors pointed out.