Better heart health reduces dementia risk in older adults

A new study in JAMA Network Open shows that older adults with better cardiovascular health (CVH) have lower levels of neurodegenerative biomarkers, particularly neurofilament light chain (NfL). This finding is significant for those at genetic risk for Alzheimer's. The research analyzed data from 10,802 older Black and White adults in Chicago. It found that higher CVH scores, based on factors like diet and physical activity, were linked to lower NfL levels, indicating less brain degeneration. The study highlights that maintaining good CVH can slow brain aging and reduce dementia risk, especially among individuals with the APOE e4 allele. These benefits were consistent across different races.