Almost 7 million Americans who are 65 years and older are living with Alzheimer's Disease, a type of dementia that slowly erodes one's thinking and memory abilities.

It's no wonder there's been a stream of media advice about how to prevent or slow down the progressive disease — everything from doing daily puzzles to staying socially active.

A new study focuses on an American Heart Association (AHA) program called Life's Simple 7. Though the program was designed to protect heart health, the latest research shows that it also reduces biomarkers indicating the risk of Alzheimer's, especially among those who self-identified as either Black or African American.

Pursuing heart health could prevent, or at least slow, the progression of Alzheimer's.

Life's Simple 7 refers to seven lifestyle changes the AHA recommends people make to improve their cardiovascular health, including: 1) Managing blood pressure; 2) Controlling cholesterol; 3) Reducing blood sugar; 4) Being active; 5) Eating more fruits and vegetables and less red meat; 6) Losing weight; and 7) Stopping smoking.

Past studies have shown that those who follow Life's Simple 7 lower their risk for a range of cardiac issues, including heart failure, coronary heart disease and hypertension.

What's new in this latest study is the link it found between heart-healthy habits and a drop in biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. The findings suggest the possibility that pursuing heart health could prevent or at least slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

In addition to the burden they place on individuals and caregivers, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, are the most disabling disorders in older adults, Anisa Dhana, a postdoctoral research fellow for the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and corresponding author of the study, explained in a statement.

A protein biomarker that is a sign of neurological damage is being studied as a way to track and predict the progression of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease.

The study involved over 1,000 adult participants 65 years or older who were part of the Chicago Health and Aging Project. A cohort study, it followed a group of individuals (the cohort) who shared a common characteristic or experience over a period of time. Participants received points based on which components of Life's Simple 7 they met. The factors included:

People in the study were divided into three groups according to their cardiovascular health scores based on how well they met the factors above. Higher scores were linked to lower biomarkers reflecting neurological damage.

Neurofilament light chain or NfL is a protein biomarker that is a sign of neurological damage. It is being studied for its potential to diagnose, track and predict the progression of various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease.

Participants with the best cardiovascular health or CVH scores had significantly lower NfL serum levels, the researchers found. Also, as participants with high CVH scores aged, they experienced a slower annual increase in their Nfl levels.

“These results highlight the importance of maintaining good [cardiovascular health] through managing risk factors, as it may help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's,” Dhana said.

Other ways to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases include:

  • Taking care of any other medical problems you may have such as diabetes
  • Getting enough sleep and seeking medical help for any sleep disorders
  • Reviewing medications that you are taking with your doctor
  • Taking steps to ease hearing and vision loss
  • Staying open to learning new things about the world around you

The study is published in JAMA Network Open.