Plasma β-Amyloid, Total-Tau, and Neurofilament Light Chain Levels and the Risk of Stroke
Alis Heshmatollah, Lana Fani, Peter J. Koudstaal, Mohsen Ghanbari, M. Arfan Ikram, M. Kamran Ikram
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To unravel whether Alzheimer disease-related pathology or neurodegeneration plays a role in stroke etiology, we determined the effect of plasma levels β-amyloid (Aβ), total-tau, and neurofilament light chain (NfL) on risk of stroke and its subtypes. METHODS: ε4 carriership, and education. RESULTS: ratio levels were not associated with stroke risk. DISCUSSION: Participants with higher total-tau and NfL at baseline had a higher risk of stroke and several stroke subtypes. These findings support the role of markers of neurodegeneration in the etiology of stroke. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that higher plasma levels of total-tau and NfL are associated with an increased risk of subsequent stroke.