Association between serum neurofilament light chains and Life's Essential 8: A cross-sectional analysis

Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), a protein released into the bloodstream post-neuronal axonal damage, has been validated as a robust biomarker for a range of neurological and systemic diseases. Concurrently, Life's Essential 8 (LE8) comprises a holistic suite of health behaviors and metabolic markers that are essential for assessing and enhancing cardiovascular health. Nevertheless, the interrelation between LE8 and sNfL is not yet fully elucidated. This investigation seeks to evaluate the association between LE8 and sNfL within the framework of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

According to data from the 2013-2014 NHANES, the study enrolled a total of 5262 participants aged between 20 and 75 years. We excluded 3035 individuals lacking sNfL measurements, included 2071 subjects for analysis, and further excluded cases from LE8 due to missing data. Ultimately, 1691 valid datasets were obtained. Hierarchical and multiple regression analyses were conducted, supplemented by smooth curve fitting and saturation effect analysis to investigate the relationship between LE8 and sNfL.

An inverse correlation was observed between LE8 scores and sNfL levels. For each SD change increase in LE8, log-transformed sNfL levels decreased by 0.14 (-0.17, -0.11 in the non-adjusted model), 0.08 (-0.10, -0.05 in the minimally adjusted model), and 0.08 (-0.12, -0.05 in the fully adjusted model). The multi-factor adjusted β coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for LE8 categories (<50, 50 ~ 80, and ≥80) were as follows: reference, -0.20 (-0.34, -0.06), and -0.26 (-0.42, -0.10). The inflection point was determined to be 58.12, identified using a two-piece linear regression model.

The analysis indicated a non-linear relationship between LE8 scores and sNfL levels. Associations were noted a positive association between LE8 and sNfL. These results suggest that lifestyle modifications and optimization of metabolic markers could potentially correlate with reduced sNfL levels; further investigation is necessary to confirm a causal relationship.