Longevity & AgingBlood Protein NfL Predicts Cognitive Decline and Death Risk in Centenarians
A study of nearly 500 Japanese centenarians found that neurofilament light chain (NfL), a protein released into the blood when nerve cells are damaged, is a powerful predictor of both cognitive decline and death risk in people over 100. Those with higher NfL levels scored worse on memory and thinking tests and faced a 36% higher risk of dying during the follow-up period. Importantly, NfL outperformed classic Alzheimer's biomarkers like amyloid and tau in predicting mortality, suggesting it reflects broader nervous system and body-wide health rather than just Alzheimer's disease pathology. These findings, replicated across Danish and Japanese cohorts, position NfL as a promising universal aging biomarker.
