CV risk factors have not only an impact on heart health, but also affect other organs, including the brain, say the experts.
The elderly who have the best cardiovascular health also seem to include lower risks for the development of a neurodegenerative disease, according to an analysis of the Chicago Health and Agging Project (CAP).
A higher cardiovascular health score according to the Life is simple 7 The tool was associated with significantly lower serum levels of the neurofilament light chain (NFL), a marker of axonal damage and neurodegeneration, in adults 65 or over.
The results, Published online This week Jama Network Open“Align with other research on CV health and neurodegenerative diseases”, the main author Anisa Dhana, MD (Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL), told TCTMD by e-mail. “Encourage healthy cardiac behavior such as maintaining normal blood pressure, regular exercise and balanced diet could slow down cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia.”
Commenting TCTMD, Anum Saeed, MD (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA), said that it has become clear over the years that cardiovascular disease and its risk factors have associations with neurological results, including stroke and dementia, and this new study adds to increasing literature demonstrating a cardiac connection.
Saeed noted that his team published a study Earlier this year, showing a link between the cardiovascular risk of the quarantine and the late neurodegeneration. “I think we, as clinicians, should learn that cardiovascular risk factors have not only an impact on cardiovascular disease, but they present this overall risk with all other organs,” she said.
Simple message for patients
Although previous research has proven to be relations between CV health and the risks of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, there has been less information on the links between heart health and the biomarkers of neurodegeneration.
To explore the problem, Dhana and his colleagues turned to Chap, a study of the risk factors for cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia in the elderly living in Chicago, Il. The current analysis included 1,018 participants (average age of 73.1 years; 61.4% of women) who had information available on the serum rates of NFL and the TOTAL TAU (T -TAU) and on the components of the 7th – Healthy Life of Life, of the Regular Exercise, of the Normal Body Mass Index, Non -smoked status and Dyslipidemia management, diabetes and diabetes and diabetes and hypertension. Most (60%) were black and the others were white.
The cohort was divided into three groups according to their CV health scores-WOW (0-6 points), intermediaries (7-9 points) and high (10-14 points). Those with a high score tended to be white (64.3%) and to have a higher education level (average 13.6 years).
Compared to those with low CV health scoresP <0.001) as well as a slower annual increase in NFL levels (1.7%; P = 0.04).
There are no such associations for T-Tau. Although the NFL and T-TAU are biomarkers of neurodegeneration, “the increase in plasma levels of NFL and T-TAU can be attributable to different risk factors and tracks to neurodegenerative diseases”, explain Dhana et al in their article.
“More specifically, the NFL is a marker of neural damage, and axonal damage has been partly attributed to brain injuries, including cerebral vascular pathology,” they continue. “Cardiovascular health includes vascular risk factors, such as hypertension and diabetes, known to contribute to vascular damage and, therefore, compromise the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, thus increasing neural damage and increasing NFL levels.”
The message of the study for patients is simple, said Saeed.
“Know your figures and go up your illness early if you have risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol,” she advised. “You must make sure you check these figures and keep them. And obviously, try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, healthy diet, etc.
Although more information on the social determinants of health add another layer to this research, for the moment, she said: “As a clinician, I tell my patients that if you want a healthy brain, you should keep a healthy heart. This is something we can control.
As clinicians, we must learn that cardiovascular risk factors have not only an impact on cardiovascular disease. Anum Saeed
Additional research is necessary to examine additional neurodegeneration biomarkers, such as phosphorylated Tau, and to determine how sleep quality – which has been added as eighth component of cardiovascular health for Life is essential 8– can influence the results.
“There are more of these risk factors that we must take into account the cardiovascular community and understand how to change these risk factors, because as we age, most of our patients have these problems,” said Saeed. “How does this have an impact on their risk of future dementia and neurodegeneration?” I think it’s a kind of call to the research community. »»